


Heir of Light

by hikari100



Series: Light vs. Darkness [1]
Category: Beyblade, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Altered States, Alternate Universe, Amnesia, Angst, Character Bashing, Crossover, Darkness, Dress Spheres, F/M, M/M, Mild Language, One-Sided Relationship, Possession, Tentacles, Yaoi, character torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2018-02-11 02:09:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2049357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hikari100/pseuds/hikari100
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ten years ago, Reiki Kon came to live at the White Tiger Village. No one knows who he truly is or where he came from, not even Rei himself knows. Now, with the World Championship coming up, can Rei figure out his past in time? Or will he be swallowed by the darkness?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Life

Thinking of you, wherever you are  
We pray for our sorrows to end  
And hope that our hearts will blend  
Now I will step forward to realize this wish

And who knows:  
Starting a new journey may not be so hard  
Or maybe it has already begun?

There are many world  
But they share the same sky --  
One sky, one destiny

~Kingdom Hearts

-.-.-.-

BOOM

The sounds of an explosion, which was followed by a sickening crack, echoed throughout the desolate forest. The force of the explosion caused a massive billow of dirt and fragmented shards of trees, flew everywhere. As things began to settle, the dirt cloud slowly withdrew; revealing a rather deep crater.

A sudden, pained groan.

Without warning, a small gloved hand reached up. And without another groan, the owner pulled themselves out from the crater. The owner collapsed, breathing heavily; sounding haggard almost. The owner turned out to be a rather ordinary sixteen-year-old boy. His rich, chocolate hair fell to his shoulders, framing a delicate face with shaggy spikes. Soft features that were highlighted by a creamy tan, and when his eyes opened, they shone a brilliant shade of blue.

Sora Everheart reached up, shielding his sensitive eyes. Despite being in pain, his mind drifted over to what lead him here.

Having spent his childhood in the tropical paradise that was Destiny Islands, Sora lived a peaceful, if yet boring, life. He had become rather good friends with several kids; Selphie, Wakka, Tidus and of course, Riku. When Sora was six, a young girl had come to live on the island; Kairi.

Riku...

Sora's cheeks redden slightly as he thought about the older boy, before shaking his head with a pained wince.

Right around the time that Riku began to question things, strange shadow creatures showed up. And with their arrival, came the destruction of his beloved home. Unfortunately, Sora had been separated from Riku and Kairi, while Selphie, Wakka and Tidus had vanished.

When his world vanished, Sora found himself waking up in an alleyway on a world called Traverse Town. While exploring the town, Sora met and gained some new allies. Cid Highwind, a mechanic and pilot, Leon a swordsman, Yuffie Kisaragi a ninja and clever thief, Aerith Gainsborough a sweet girl who was a healer, and of course, Merlin a powerful sorcerer.

He also wound up meeting his two closest friends; Donald Duck and Goofy. Donald was an anthro white duck, and was a pretty decent mage himself. Goofy, on the other hand, was an anthro black dog, a captain of a set of knights at a castle. Although, by looking at them, you wouldn't assume them to be a mage and a knight.

Donald's outfit was nothing more than a pale blue shirt and a dark blue barrette; both lined with zippers. However, he could summon a staff at will.

Goofy, on the other hand, his outfit was a bit different. He wore a green turtleneck, baggy orange pants, a black leather vest, over-sized brown shoes, and an orange pilot's cap with a pair of black goggles. Unlike Donald who used magic, Goofy relied on his strength. He kept his shield strapped to his back.

While he may have gotten close with Donald and Goofy; not everyone was happy. When Sora finally caught up with Riku, he had been stunned by the sudden hostility. Not only was Riku jealous of Donald and Goofy, but he also accused Sora of abandoning both him and Kairi.

That hurt.

It wasn't until much later that Sora found out that Riku had been brainwashed by that hag, Maleficent. Even worse, Riku had been possessed by a dark entity.

Sigh.

Sora grunted, slowly getting to his feet. Now wasn't the time to daydream, he needed to find Donald and Goofy. He looked around, noting the gnarled trees. But...but how?

"Help!"

Sora whirled around, blue eyes wide. He had known that cry, somewhere Goofy was in trouble.

Damn.

-.-.-.-

Goofy peered from behind his shield, shifting in unease. He winced as two creatures formed around; several of each, to be precise, him. And once they took shape, Goofy knew that he was in big trouble.

The first to form was a little over five feet in height, humanoid with broad shoulders and a muscular frame. It had jet black skin that held a bluish tint, curved yet sharp purple-blue horns, sharp claws for hands and talons for feet, small bat-like wings protruded from the bag and golden-tipped feathery wings jut from the elbows, a heart-shaped hole in their chest, glowing golden eyes, and was that fire underneath it?!

Invisible.

The second one resembled a large sphere, but its skin was jet black streaked with dark blue, a jagged and twisted grin, tentacle-like ears, and glowing, yet beady, golden eyes.

The Dark Ball.

The Invisible's were gripping a blue, scalloped-style sword; their eyes locked onto the frightened knight. The Dark Ball's were licking their lips, fangs gleaming as their eyes shone with hunger.

Oh man, not good!

Goofy's ears perked slightly, barely catching a faint rustling from somewhere nearby. Tensing slightly, his grasp over his shield tightened. What if it was another one of them? The knight wasn't sure if he could handle another. Just then, the rustling grew louder and Goofy knew that whatever it was, it was a lot closer than before.

Without warning, one of the Invisible's lunged for Goofy. The knight yelped, jumping back in shock. The sudden movement and loss of balance, cost Goofy greatly. His grasp over his shield had loosened and clattered uselessly to the ground. Goofy's dark eyes closed, bracing for the brutal impact; only it never came.

Huh?

Goofy's eyes snapped open after hearing the sounds of metal on metal. "Sora!" He cried, sounding relieved. The brunette had stopped the deadly blow with his own weapon. Strangely enough, it resembled a giant, gold handled, key-shaped sword.

The Kingdom Keyblade.

Sora's blue eyes were chips of pure ice as he glared at the Invisible's. "Back of now," he hissed as he grasped the Keyblade. Sora jumped up and actually kicked it away; sending it flying back. Sora glanced from the Keyblade to them, before a smirk crossed his lips. Goofy's eyes were wide at what happened next. Sora's grasp tightened slightly, grinning widely; a crimson aura seeping from his skin. Before Goofy could react, Sora's slender frame became pure energy. Said energy darted between the Invisible's and Dark Balls, before Sora reappeared behind the pack; having knelt as he landed.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, one-by-one, the Invisible's and Dark Ball's burst into purplish-black wisps. Sora straightened himself, before turning to Goofy as the Keyblade returned to his soul. Sora's icy eyes softened, looking a bit nervous. "You okay?" He questioned.

Goofy nodded, before giving Sora a stern look. "What about you?" He shot back. "And don't even think about lying to me!" Sora's cheeks turned a light pink as he looked away, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. "I'm fine," Sora mumbled. "Just a little sore, that's all," he added hastily at the knight's annoyed expression. Goofy sighed, shaking his head with exasperation. Sora winced, feeling a bit ashamed. He knew why Goofy was annoyed with him, and he couldn't blame the knight. Sora's health wasn't exactly the best, and being such a sickly child had more than earned him a few protectors.

Damn his conscious.

"So," Sora said, sounding awkward. "Have you seen Donald?" Before Goofy could respond, an explosion sounded in the near distance. The two exchanged amused looks. "Donald," they both said as one.

Shaking their heads, the two headed off in the direction of the explosion. As they walked, Goofy kept glancing at Sora, lost in his thoughts. When Goofy first met the boy, he had found Sora to be a sweet, if clumsy kid. But two years of constant battles and hardships had taken their toll on the poor boy, and Goofy was understandably worried for him.

The two entered a clearing, just in time to see several wisps of darkness disappearing. Donald lowered his staff with a snort, before turning slightly to the right, only to see the duo standing there. Donald relaxed a bit. "Finally!" He grumbled.

"Where were you two?"

Before the two could answer, a sharp pain went through Sora's chest; striking his heart. Sora grimaced slightly, rubbing at the tender spot. Unfortunately, both Donald and Goofy saw this, and they were immediately alarmed. Sora tried to wave off their concern when the pain became more noticeable. 

Sora grunted, falling to his knees; one hand over his heart. To their shock, a reddish-pink light was being emitted from Sora's heart. Sora's face was twisted with pain, and was getting paler by the minute.

"Something's...not right..."

As the pain increased, a faint energy trickled through; catching his attention. The energy was dark and seductive, and oh so familiar. Then the scent of coconuts and leather reached Sora's nose and he realized the truth.

"Look out!" He screamed.

Before Donald and Goofy could react, a large gust of wind swept through; sending the two spiraling deeper into the woods. Sora swallowed thickly, realizing that he was alone with him.

"Sora."

Flinching at the velvety voice, Sora slowly turned around; only to see the entity that was possessing Riku. The entity appeared to be a man in his early twenties with a muscular frame. His rich tanned skin was enhanced by his shocking silver hair, and eerie neon orange eyes. What he wore, would leave anyone hot and bothered. A partially buttoned, white leather jacket, black leather pants and knee high leather boots, a black sleeved white leather trench coat, and white leather gloves. The mark that was burned into his chest sent a suspicious wave through Sora. It was a jet black heart with a thin crimson red outline, and a thin 'x' going through it. The symbol was what the artificial ones bore.

Then...did that mean...?

"Ansem," Sora said nervously. The light that was still emitting from his heart, flickered weakly. "It would seem," Ansem said, silkily. "that our paths have once again crossed."

/"I'd duck if I were you."/  
E-eh?

Sora dove to the right, barely avoiding the claw that had been aimed at his head. Whatever it was, it had vanished. Unfortunately, before Sora could relax, he was forced on the defense.

Pillars of dark purplish energy were rapidly forming around the brunette. Sora had to keep jumping to avoid being hit; as something in him told him that being struck would mean big trouble. /"I can stop this, you know."/

Eh...?  
That voice again...

Sora gritted his teeth, trying to keep ahead of the dark pillars. The voice sighed again, sounding a bit exasperated with Sora's attitude. Without warning, a strange iciness started to take over. A deadly fear gripped Sora's heart as he realized that he was losing control over his body. /"Relax Sora,"/ the voice said, soothingly. Despite his terror, Sora found his body relaxing. /"Just leave everything to me."/ By now, his body had gone lax and Sora found himself sinking into darkness.

Then nothing at all.

-.-.-.-

Hidden deep within the mountains of China, laid a village that was untouched by time. The villagers enjoyed their peaceful lives, but like the rest of the world; they enjoyed the sport of Beyblade. Today, however, would be a day that the villagers would remember for a long time. Out of nowhere, dark storm clouds gathered overhead. The villagers looked up, a mixture of curiosity and worry swept through. Even the air felt oppressive; as if cackling with some sort of mystical energy.

"Look!"

Shimmering blue lights were falling from the ominous skies; a meteor storm, perhaps? But this sight wasn't what made the villagers nervous. No, what truly made them nervous was the rather large object that was spiraling toward the village.

BOOM

Several people winced at the sound. Thankfully, whatever the object was, it landed outside the village. But, it was still close enough to send a blast of wind through the village from the landing. 

The Elders began issuing instructions to some of the village's fighters. A few minutes later, five men left for the crash site. The men weren't even gone that long, when ten minutes later, they were running back; looking rather alarmed. The mothers that were watching, felt a spark of rage when they saw what had alarmed the men.

A child.  
A heavily injured child, to be exact.

Elder Wong guided the man who was holding the child, to the Healer's hut. Curiosity swept through the village and many wondered who the child was. And who had injured a young one so badly.

-.-.-.-

Healer Mai Cheng looked up curiously as Elder Wong and a male villager, burst into her hut. Her amethyst eyes locked onto the injured child who was curled up in the villager's arms. Her eyes sharpened, expression hard.

"Put him down on the bed," She ordered. As the villager laid the child down on one of the medical beds, Elder Wong realized that she was right. The child was indeed male, very young at that; five, maybe six years of age. Healer Mai turned to her counter, which held bandages, salves and herbal remedies. She gathered up one of her mixing bowls, filled it with cool water, grabbed some clean clothes and turned to her patient.

Elder Wong dismissed the villager, before focusing on the Healer. As an Elder, and a member of the council; he must protect the village at all costs. It's for the best, he told himself. As Healer Mai cleaned the blood away, she found the little boy to be quite cute. Wild jet black hair framed a somewhat pale face, a small nose and full lips, and long, dark eyelashes. She raised an eyebrow, realizing that the boy was mumbling something.

"Rei...Rei...Rei..."

Without warning, the boy's eyes snapped open, causing her to draw in a sharp breath. The boy's eyes shone a bright shade of pure gold, the pupils were slitted; showing that he was ging feral. 

"Who are you?" He demanded, flashing a set of sharp fangs. "And where am I?" The two exchanged looks, before Healer Mai set the bloodied cloth down. "I am Healer Mai and over there is Elder Wong." The boy's golden eyes went from her to Elder Wong. "And you are in our village, the White Tigers."

"Can you tell us your name?"

The feral look slowly faded as he blinked owlishly. "I-I don't know," he said softly, sounding confused. "I can't remember anything."

Oh, dear.

-.-.-.-

In the end, the boy had been granted a citizen's status. In fact, it was Healer Mai Cheng who christened the amnesic boy Reiki 'Rei' Kon. Rei quickly became friends with Healer Mai and Elder Wong's grandchildren; Kevin Cheng, Lee and Mariah Wong, and another boy named Gary Tan. His new friends where more than happy to introduce him to the world of Beyblade.

And a new chapter in Rei's life was about to begin.


	2. The Journey Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei receives the white tiger spirit from Elder Wong, as well as getting a blast from the past. Now, I wonder who that could be...?

It had been exactly ten years since the amnesic boy known as Reiki Kon, came to the village. And the years had definitely been good to him.

The now sixteen-year-old boy stood at a height of five foot ten, with a slender, yet muscular frame. His jet black hair had grown considerably, gaining an unruly spiky appearance, several spikes framing his delicate face; done in a ponytail and bound with a soft white cloth. Sharp features were enhanced by tanned skin from years of being outside, and unusual golden eyes. His style was rather traditional, but comfortable. He wore a short sleeved, gold trimmed white shirt, black kung-fu style pants, black fighting slippers, a crimson sash, fingerless crimson gloves and a crimson headband. His gloves and band bore the traditional yin-yang symbol.

Rei was at the clearing, where the village kids played Beyblade. However, instead of training, he was lost within his troubling thoughts.

After Healer Mai had given him his name, Rei had been given to a village Elder to be raised. And it was about a year ago that he had been allowed to live on his own. Even though it was nice living on his own, it was a bit lonely. Rei sighed, biting his lower lip as his eyes darkened slightly. Why couldn’t he remember anything before waking up in the Healer’s hut? Every time he tried to remember, he would get a glimpse of jade green eyes. This always gave him a severe migraine, and his heart aching from an unknown grief.

"Rei! Hey, Rei!"

Huh?

Rei was drawn from his thoughts, hearing the excited voice of his best friend; Lee Wong. Lee was only a year younger than him, although he didn't look like it. Lee was as tall as Rei, only he was a little bit more muscular. He had shaggy jet black hair that was tied back into a loose ponytail, broader features, tanner skin and warm copper eyes. Lee's style, while similar, was vastly different. He wore a short sleeved, opened green trimmed, yellow shirt, black kung-fu pants, black fighting slippers and a white sash. Bandages were wrapped around his hands and ankles.

"I had a feeling that you would be here," Lee teased, before his smile faded slightly as he realized that something was wrong. Rei's eyes had suddenly dimmed, and he was staring at Lee kinda funny. In Rei's mind, he wasn't seeing Lee, but a pretty red haired girl with dark blue eyes.

/"I knew that I'd find you snoozing down here."/

"Rei?" Lee called softly. He was relieved when Rei's eyes regained their light. Rei blinked, before reaching up to rub his temple. "You okay?" Lee asked, gently before something dawned on him. "Did you just remember something?" Rei winced as his head throbbed. "I-I don't know," he rasped before shaking it off. "Anyway, what do you want?" Lee frowned at the sudden subject change, and silently told himself that he would talk with Rei about it later.

"We get out spirit guardians today!"

Oh.

Spirit Guardians, or 'bit beasts' as the world knew them as, were ancient, mythical animals. It was a rare sight to see one, let alone gain one! Luckily, the village had five spirits, not just one. Rei gave a slight smile and followed Lee to the Councilor's Lodge; where their friends were waiting impatiently for them. Time had also been good to them; especially Kevin. 

Mariah was slightly tall for her age, but shapely and well tone muscles. Her long, dark pink hair was tied back into a high ponytail with a light pink ribbon; the ribbon was styled in a way that it resembled cat ears. Her skin was just as tanned as her brother's, slightly sharper features and playful, copper eyes. Her style was simple, yet reflecting her fierce personality. Mariah wore a sleeveless, pale pink GI that was trimmed in dark pink, pale pink boots, fingerless dark pink gloves, and a gold band around her upper right arm.

Kevin was the youngest of their team, but at least he was no longer short! His dark emerald hair was swept over one eye, with a short ponytail, slightly pale skin and round features, and his grandmother's amethyst eyes. His style was traditional, much like Rei's; but ever so different. He wore a short sleeved, pale blue shirt, a sleeveless dark blue trimmed, deep blue shirt over it, dark blue shorts, dark brown boots and fingerless dark blue gloves. Gary was only a year older than Rei, but you couldnt tell by his size. He was extremely muscular with lightly tanned skin, a short dark mohawk and squinty eyes. His choice of style was rather simple, yet comfortable. He wore a short sleeved orange shirt, a forest green vest and kung-fu pants, rope-style belt, black boots and black wrist bands.

Mariah was scowling, her hands over her hips as she glared at them. "You're late," she growled, looking none too happy. "Sorry about that," Lee said sheepishly, scratching his right cheek in embarrassment. Mariah rolled her eyes, snorting loudly. "Boys!" She grumbled, good-naturedly.

Heh, heh…

Quietly slipping in next to an amused Gary, Rei's attention was drawn to the Elders. There was a single table which held five tiny disks. Each disk was etched with a single animal; leopard, monkey, bear, lion and tiger. Elder Wong gave the leopard to Mariah, the monkey to Kevin and the bear to Gary. And strangely enough, it suited them. Mariah was fierce and fast on her feet, Kevin had a mischievous and hyper personality, while Gary was sturdy and had the strength of a bear.

One-by-one, the trio placed the disks into their Beyblades. Mariah's glowed with a faint pink light, before the disk changed slightly. The leopard was adorned with a sky blue armored breast plate and green armored bands around the front paws. "Galux," She whispered with a soft smile. Kevin's glowed with a soft yellow light, and like before, the disk changed slightly. The monkey was clearly bigger and more aggressive looking with armored horns. Blood red gauntlets adorned the wrists, and what appeared to be a thin, armored band around the forehead.

"Galman, huh?" Kevin mused, grinning. Gary's Beyblade glowed with an eerie red light, before the disk changed slightly. The bear was now standing on its hind legs, somehow more muscular. Dark crimson armor decorated its arms and head; its paws ending in massive claws.

"Galzzly…" Gary rumbled.

Lee, assuming that he would be given the tiger and Rei the lion, he was stunned when his grandfather gave him the lion instead. His shock soon gave way to a burning envy as Rei received the tiger spirit. What the hell were the Elders thinking?! Reluctantly, Lee inserted the disk into his Beyblade. The disk glowed darkly, before changing. The lion was now more feral with a flaming mane and tail. Golden armor decorated its face ad front paws, shaped like lightning. As Elder Wong handed him the tiger disk, Rei felt guilty. He knew how much Lee desired the tiger, but he also understood the Elders decision. Lee was a hot head; his temper making him wild at times. No, Lee was not suitable for the tiger spirit. Rei inserted the disk into his Beyblade, the disk pulsing with an eerie green light; changing slightly. The tiger was definitely bigger, the stripes more intricate. Gold armor adorned its shoulders, a band around the forehead, armored bands around the front paws and an armored tail.

"Driger…"

.-.-.-.

Cold.

Rei awoke with a start, pupils slitted; reflecting a feral state, his breathing somewhat harsh. After a few painful gulps, his breathing evened out and his eyes slowly returned to normal. Rei blinked owlishly, a sense of agitation burning from within.

Something…didn't feel right.

Crawling out of bed, Rei padded over to an opened window; peering outside. His eyes widen slightly, paling at the sight. Strange, dark purplish-black clouds were beginning to gather ominously over the village; blue lightning cackling across the skies. His mind screaming at him, Rei knew that he needed to leave. Biting his lip, Rei felt a faint sense of remorse; but shook it off. He quickly changed into his usual attire, before hurrying to pack. Rei grabbed a bag, then started throwing in some extra clothes, a well-stocked first-aid kit, a modified belt, some ration bars and a small pile of money. He then pocketed his Beyblade, grabbed a traveling cloak and ran for it.

[I'm sorry, but I can't stay here.]

.-.-.-.

A week later, Rei found himself in Beijing, working as a stock boy at a small store. Unknown to him, today was going to be very special. Today, Rei was going to get a blast from the past. Reaching up to wipe the sweat away, Rei noticed the time. Huh, his shift was over. Grabbed his bag, Rei paid for a cold bottle of water. Waving at some of the other workers, Rei decided to take a walk in a nearby park. As he walked by an alleyway, a faint trickle of energy grabbed his attention. Rei blinked, tilting his head curiously. He turned toward the alleyway, wondering why the energy source felt so familiar. Shrugging, Rei checked to see if anyone was watching; they weren't, and hurried down the dingy path.

What the—? To his shock, he found three unconscious teens; a girl and two boys, laying in a lifeless heap. Nervously, he knelt next to the girl and felt for a pulse. Rei sighed, feeling relieved when he found one. He stood back up, inspecting the trio with curious eyes; they were about his age. The girl was slender with a toned frame. Her dark chocolate hair fell to her shoulders in thick curls, soft features and lightly tanned skin. He noted the simple yellow sundress and brown sandals. The first boy had a toned, muscular frame; hinting at his strength. His bleached blond hair was as wild as it could get, angelic features and rich, tanned skin. Rei was amused to find that he wore no shirt, but a short yellowed sleeved black leather jacket, dark jean shorts, and black leather shoes. There was a glint of silver coming from an ear; an earring? The second boy was unusually tall and built like a swimmer. He had shocking, yet unruly, orange hair, sharp featured and lightly tanned skin. Rei noted the sleeveless white shirt, somewhat baggy orange pants and dark brown sandals.

[I know them…don't I?]

The girl groaned, stirring a bit. He quietly waited as she regained consciousness. Without warning, the girl's green eyes met his gold ones. For a moment, nothing happened. Then she yelped, slapping him away; much to his annoyance. Her yelp caused her two companions to awake with a start. "Who the hell are you?" The blond demanded, baby blue eyes hard. The girl, on the other hand, was staring at Rei with curiosity; making him nervous. Then realization dawned on her; eyes wide with shock.

"S-Sora?"

Eh?

The two boys turned to her with wide eyes. "Selphie," The blond said slowly. "Are you sure?" The girl, Selphie, nodded. "Tidus," She sounded annoyed. "I'd recognize Sora anywhere." The orange haired boy glanced at Rei, carefully taking in his appearance before paling. "Tidus," His voice held a thick accent. "Dat is Sora." The blond turned wide eyes at Rei, as if stunned. But, Rei was frowning deeply. And what he said next, hurt them.

"Do I know you?"

"Very funny, Sora!" Selphie snapped. Rei's eyes narrowed slightly, gritting his teeth. "I'm sorry," he growled. "But I don't remember anything before the village!" The trio exchanged looks, as if surprised. Selphie sighed, green eyes sad. "You really don't remember us, do you?" She whispered as he shook his head. Feeling a bit sorry for them, Rei gestured for them to follow him to the park. While walking, Rei found out that the orange haired boy's name was Wakka; and that Wakka and Tidus both loved a sport called Blitzball. In return, he explained what Beyblade was, and of course, Bit-Beasts. Arriving at the park, the four sat under a large cypress. Before any of them could relax, several kids ran up to them. "Which one of you Beyblade's?" One asked eagerly as Rei stood up. "That would be me," he said firmly. Another kid was grinning, looking smug. "Then I challenge you to a match!" Rei simply smiled as they got into a battle stance; standing over one of the park's handmade Bey-Dishes.

3…2…1…Let 'er rip!

Two Beyblade's, one a dark silver, the other a dark maroon; clashed furiously. Rei looked bored while the kid was getting more and more frustrated. "Take me seriously!" He whined. Rei raised an eyebrow, looking rather annoyed.

"Driger."

His silver Beyblade glowed a soft green, and for a moment, everyone thought that they saw a tiger; before vanishing. Moments later, the maroon Beyblade was sent flying, hitting the ground in pieces. While Rei's returned to his outstretched hand. Before anyone could react, the Bey-Dish trembled dangerously, before cracking in half. Rei gazed from the cracked dish to his Beyblade with wide eyes. "Sora, what's that by your feet?" Selphie asked, curiously.

Huh?

Rei looked down to see what looked like a marble sitting comfortably against his left foot. He knelt down and picked it up; inspecting it carefully. It was a dull purple with a gnarled staff etched on it, and he knew the name just like the others.

The Black Mage.

Rei pocketed it before standing up as clapping could be heard. Everyone turned to see an elderly, stocky man wearing a dark gray business suit, a bowler's hat and a cane. The man's bushy gray mustache twitched as he smiled. “Are you Reiki Kon?" He asked cheerfully. Rei blushed hotly at the usage of his first name, but nodded shyly. "My name is Stanley Dickenson," he started as Rei perked up. "As in the same director of the Beyblade Federation Association?"

He nodded.

"I would like you to join the team that we're planning on.” Rei grew thoughtful, something was telling him that he should accept Mr. Dickenson's invite. "I'll go, so long as they can come." Rei gestured to the trio, and of course, Mr. Dickenson agreed. "Where are we heading, sir?" Selphie asked, curiously.

"Seaside City, Japan."


	3. Team Formations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the big day for Tyson Granger; Seaside City is hosting a Beyblade Tournament. Determined to win, he runs across a mysterious, yet ruthless player; Rei Kon. It appears that there is more to this strange boy, and Tyson wasn't sure if he was ready for something like this.
> 
> *Warning, injured!Rei*

Seaside City, Japan

"Move it, Tyson!"

A rather peevish looking young boy was dragging a slightly older boy behind him. "I can't believe that you made us late!" He continued as they hurried through the halls of the Bey-Stadium. He was a bit small for his age, despite being twelve. His thick auburn hair was an unruly mess, lightly tanned skin, and for some reason, large, coke bottle glasses. His style was simply, yet geeky. A short sleeved white shirt, a green tie, dark gray shorts and shiny black shoes. Hidden within his laptop was a Spirit Guardian; Dizzaga, or 'Dizzy' as he called her.

His friend; Tyson, was a pudgy boy of thirteen. His dark blue hair was tied back into a simple ponytail, naturally tanned skin and warm navy blue eyes. For him, his style was a bit more complicated. Tyson wore a short sleeved yellow shirt, a white trimmed red jacket, blue jean shorts, fingerless elbow length brown gloves, red-and-white sneakers and a red baseball cap.

Finally swallowing the last of his sandwich, Tyson pulled himself free. "Ease up, Chief!" He pouted. That was another thing, many referred to the younger boy by his nickname of 'Chief'. Scowling, the younger boy shot Tyson a look; wishing that people would cease with that silly nickname and actually use his name for once. After what seemed like forever, the two finally reached the correct arena. Unfortunately, they arrived just as Block A was finishing up. The moment that Kenny saw who was down there, he turned a somewhat sickly color. Tyson then realized that with dread, Kenny had actually recognized one of the players.

But who?

Leaning against the rails, Tyson tightened his grasp as his blue eyes scanned the group. He was immediately drawn to a beautiful teen who was just a few years older than him. Blinking owlishly, Tyson glanced over to the Bey-Dish; before staring in utter shock.

'No way…'

Down below, there was a flash of green; and for a moment, nothing happened. Without warning, every Beyblade; save for one, was blasted out and shattered upon contact with the ground. The last surviving Beyblade, a silver one, flew out from the dish; having been caught by the teen who had grabbed Tyson's attention.

"That's Rei Kon."

Eh?

Tyson glanced at Kenny, looking a bit confused. "You know him?" Kenny frowned, but shook his head. "Only by reputation," he muttered, before shivering. "All I know is that Rei is one of China's strongest players." Kenny swallowed a bit thickly. "He is downright vicious."

'Oh, really?'

As if sensing them, Rei turned his head slightly until he was looking right at the duo. His eyes…such an unusual color. Rei suddenly smiled and seemingly vanished into the shadows; much to their shock.

.-.-.-.  
Max vs. Kai

Thirteen-year-old Max Tate fiddled with his necklace, feeling a bit uneasy. He had typical sunny blond hair, fair skin and large baby blue eyes. His cheerful personality could be seen reflected in his clothes. Max wore a short sleeved neon green shirt, bright orange overalls, neon green socks with bright orange sneakers and green wrist bands. He glanced at his opponent; Kai Hitawari, before looking away with uneasy eyes.

Oh boy.

Kai was, perhaps, the city’s strongest player in the game. And unfortunately, for Max that is, Kai was his opponent in the semi-finals. Why must Lady Luck hate him so?

Despite being the same age, something about Kai felt…off. Kai had short dark blue hair, unruly blue-gray bangs, naturally pale skin and startling red-wine eyes. There was even a strange blue slash across each cheek. Kai wore a sleeveless, yet tight, black shirt, semi baggy blue jeans, black combat boots, metal armbands and a white scarf.

3…2…1…Let 'er rip!

Up in the stands with Mr. Dickenson, sat Rei and the islanders. Rei was snoozing while the others watched the match. "Who do you think will win?" Selphie asked curiously.

Hm…?

Rei's eyes slowly opened upon sensing something. He raised an eyebrow, somewhat amused when he saw a massive armored, purple turtle hovering above the blond. Hm, so Max had a guardian as well?

Interesting.

"They both seem evenly matched," Tidus mused. Rei snorted; rolling his eyes. "That would be Kai," he muttered. It was true, though. Rei could sense a powerful fire spirit on Kai. And sure enough, Kai won the match.

[Looks like I'm against Tyson.]

.-.-.-.

That night, Max, Kenny and Tyson were celebrating at a spa that Tyson's family were acquainted with. The spa was at the edge of the city, near a forest; making for a relaxing location.

"I'm glad that we came here," Tyson said softly as they climbed into the hot spring. Max let out a surprised yelp, jumping to his feet. "Something bit me!" Kenny raised an eyebrow, giving the blond a strange look. "Max," He said slowly. "The temperature is far too hot for anything to survive."

Oh brother.

A flash of blue light; which had come from outside, caught their attention. Exchanging curious looks, they realized that the light source as coming from the other side of the spring. Scrambling to their feet, the trio peered over the fence with wide eyes.

What the–?  
…Rei?

Sure enough, there was Rei. There was a set of trees behind him, the air simmering between them. However, they noticed that Rei wasn't looking too good. Staggering forward a bit, a rather pale looking Rei fell to his knees. The poor guy was sweating; his breathing somewhat harsh. 

What on earth happened…?

Breathing softly, Rei glanced down; only to find a marble resting by his feet. Picking it up, Rei saw that it was inscribed with a samurai type helmet. As if sensing something or someone, Rei turned his attention toward the springs.

Yikes!

The boys dove back down, causing Rei to blink owlishly at the sight. Pocketing the marble, Rei shook his head before getting up and returning to the hotel. 

.-.-.-.  
Rei vs. Tyson

"Making his way through the tournament," Jazzman; the tournament announcer, called cheerfully. "Is the new rookie, Tyson!" Tyson walked out into the arena, looking rather cocky. "And his opponent, the dynamite in white, Rei!" Rei quietly entered, and before anyone could react; he yawned. Comically falling, Tyson let out a whine. "What was that for?" He yelled as Rei glanced his way; eyes blank.

"Hn."

'What the…he's like Kai?!'

Shaking off his annoyance, Tyson got into position. "I'm so going to win!" He bragged. Rei merely raised an eyebrow, but got into position as well.

3…2…1…Let 'er rip!

Two Beyblade's, one silver the other white, clashed furiously; sparks flying. Tyson gritted his teeth, clearly frustrated with the older boy. "Why aren't you taking this seriously?" He snapped, whining a bit. The moment Tyson spoke, he regretted his words as Rei glared at him with slitted, feral eyes.

Uh-oh…

"Driger…" Rei growled.

'I'm screwed.'

"TIGER CLAW ATTACK!"

'Yep.'

Tyson could only stare in shock at what happened next. The bit within Rei's Beyblade suddenly lit up with an eerie green light. Within seconds, a massive and armored tiger appeared; growling softly.

"That thing's huge!" Tyson gasped.

Before anyone could blink, Rei's Beyblade suddenly vanished. At the same time, Tyson's was sent flying; shattering upon contact. Tyson hurried over to inspect it, paling at the sight. Deep claw marks could be seen throughout the Beyblade. "It looks like it was torn apart by a real tiger's claw," He whispered, still in shock.

Huh?

Hearing footsteps, Tyson looked up; only to find Rei walking away. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" He demanded hotly. Rei stopped, before turning to face him. "This match is over," He said sharply. "And according to the rules," Rei gave a cold smile. "If you don't have any spare parts, you're automatically disqualified."

WHAT?!

Tyson paled, looking almost ill. "Y-you're kidding, right?" He stuttered. His fear only grew when Jazzman confirmed Rei's cruel words. Thankfully, Kenny came through for Tyson; holding up a tool box. Rei watched them leave with sharp eyes.

Hm…

A ten minute break was given, and Tyson ran off to fix his Beyblade. Rei, on the other hand, returned to the locker room; a bit unnerved by his sudden cruelty. He shivered, rubbing at his arms. Ever since the match began, an eerie chill had been taking root; his vision even blurred a couple of times.

[What the hell is wrong with me?]

Shaking it off, Rei waited patiently for the match to continue. Thankfully, it didn't take Kenny long to repair Tyson's Beyblade. And soon enough, the two were at it again. Unknown to Rei, Tyson had a new trick up his sleeve.

"Dragoon!"

[What the…?]

Rei could only blink owlishly at the sight. Tyson's Beyblade began to spin at an alarming rate; and to everyone's shock, a genuine tornado formed! Through the whirlwind, Rei could make out a massive dragon. A dragon that looked downright mad, that is.

[Why me?]

Rei felt something sharp slam into his left side, before the raging tornado slammed him into the arena wall. Tyson cringed as there came a sickening crack from the collision. Judging by how loud that crack was, Rei had hit the wall pretty hard. 

'That sounded like it hurt.'

Realizing that Rei wasn't moving, a rather alarmed looking Jazzman hurried over. Kneeling next to the downed teen, the man grimaced. Rei's bandanna was slowly turning a darker shade of red, his breathing had grown labored, and a bit of blood trickled from his lips.

Not good.

Jazzman sighed, brown eyes hard. "The winner of this match is Tyson," He said sharply, shocking the audience. "I need a medic over here!" These simple words sent a chill through many as Tyson swallowed thickly.

'Did I really hurt him?'

Moments later, two EMT's came running into the arena; one was pushing a gurney while the other was carrying a bag of some sorts. They knelt down, carefully inspecting the teen, when one of them yelped; and no wonder. 

Golden eyes stared back.

Unfortunately, Rei's eyes were glazed over, and it appeared that he was unaware of his surroundings. A recognizable sign for a concussion. A neck brace was placed gently around Rei's neck, before he was carefully loaded onto the gurney. A very pale Tyson was watching, unable to believe it.

.-.-.-.

In the end, Rei suffered from a minor concussion, two fractured ribs, a bruised spine, some muscle spasms from a weakened heart, and blood loss from the gashes in his side. The cuts had been deep enough to require stitches.

Rei wasn't happy about this.

.-.-.-.  
Tyson vs. Kai

A somewhat pale looking Rei had shown up, while Tyson and Kai had their match. The match, however, had ended in a tie; much to Kai's annoyance. Tidus helped Rei down to the arena as Mr. Dickenson went to congratulate the boys after Jazzman announced that they would be representing Japan in the World Championships. Tyson bit his lip, shifting as Rei approached them. He wasn't sure on how he should handle things with the older boy. Max looked over Rei with concerned blue eyes. "Are you okay now, Rei?"

"I'm fine," Rei said flatly. As if by some silent command, the islanders snorted; catching their attention. "You would say that even if you were near death," Tidus pointed out as Rei colored slightly. "Sora," Wakka said tiredly, his accent even thicker. "You had a minor concussion, two fractured ribs, a bruised spine, muscle spasms from a damaged heart and blood loss." He gave the younger boy a stern look and Rei flushed at being caught.

Tyson paled.

"Did...did I really do all that?" He rasped, sounding truly frightened. If this was true, then he could have killed Rei! Selphie hesitated, but only for a second. She then gave Tyson a warm, reassuring smile.

"Tyson, right?"  
He nodded.

"Don't worry," She assured him. "We have some medicine for him back at the hotel, he'll be good as new." Tidus smirked. "So long as we can get him to take them," He snickered as Rei turned even redder. Relaxing, Max glanced over at Tyson and gave a slight smile. "The team requires a name," Kenny pointed out. Tyson looked thoughtful. "How about the Bladebreakers?" He suggested as Mr. Dickenson looked amused by the suggestion.

"Bladebreakers it is."

"Mr. Dickenson," Kenny began. "Where is the first tournament being held?" The elderly man gave Rei a worried look, leaving the teen rather uneasy.

"Beijing China."

Rei's eyes widen slightly, and a sharp pain shot across his chest. His breathing was growing into pained gasps, broken out into a sweat, and a hand was over his heart. "Sora…?" Selphie was alarmed by his reaction. "I-I can't go back," Rei rasped, before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed into Tidus' arms.

"Sora?!"


	4. Disasterous Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bladebreakers have arrived in Beijing China for the Asian Tournament. When Kai storms off, it's up to the Bladebreakers and the islanders to track him down. While out and about, an old friend of Rei's is tracking him down, hell bent on finding out the truth. And as for the islanders...? They're about to find out just how strong Rei really was.

A few days after his attack, a rather reluctant Rei went on ahead of the others. Thankfully, the islanders went with him, relieving Mr. Dickenson of his fears. It had been a frightening sight, to say the least. 

.-.-.-.  
Beijing, China

After landing in China, Mr. Dickenson graciously took the boys out for lunch at a small café. While eating, he explained to them the rules of the World Tournaments; as they were far different from they were used to. Tyson was on his fourth rice ball, savoring the taste when their waiter approached them.

"More tea?"

Tyson looked up, eyes wide as he gaped. "Rei?!" And sure enough, their waiter was indeed Rei. The teen was wearing the male uniform; a blue turtleneck and gray slacks, for the café. Rei gave a slight smile, clearly amused. "I've been serving you guys all afternoon," His smile grew; flashing his fangs. "And you never once noticed." Luckily, Rei's shift had just ended, so he left to go change; but not before calling the islanders to let them know what was happening. By the time Rei had finished, the islanders had joined them. Now that he was out of the uniform, he could join the others. Unfortunately, Kai stormed off in a fit of rage. "That kid's gonna be trouble," Wakka muttered.

Oh brother.

Sighing, Rei tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose before turning to Kenny with half lidded eyes. "Think you can track Kai down with your laptop?" Kenny blinked owlishly before muttering to himself. "Why didn't I think of that?" Shifting a bit, he pulled out his laptop from his bag; placing it on the table. Ignoring Dizzy's complaints, Kenny typed in a few commands, before smiling.

"Found him."

Rei peered over, glancing at the screen; raising an eyebrow. "I know that area," he said quietly. Rei got up and gestured for them to follow. As they left, Mr. Dickenson frowned. Why oh why was he getting such a bad feeling about this? Hopefully, he was worrying over nothing.

Hopefully.

.-.-.-.

Unknown to the gang, they were being watched by two individuals; one of them very familiar. "Follow them," The smaller one instructed as the other nodded and went after the group. Purple eyes were cold as the owner glared at Rei.

"Soon traitor."

.-.-.-.

While searching for Kai, Rei felt his agitation grow. Not only was Kai actively avoiding them, but Rei's instincts were screaming at him. As if sensing his agitation, it was Max who voiced his concern. "Rei?" Max hesitated. "Is everything okay?"

Hm…?

Rei stopped, and tilted his head; as if hearing something. His eyes narrowed slightly, before he shifted; moving his head just a bit. At the same time, a large metal object crashed into the wall behind him; said object scurrying along the ground as it landed.

What the—?

The object, strangely enough, turned out to be a wok. "Alright," Tyson said angrily. "Who threw that?" Rei sniffed, picking up on a faint scent. It was the scent of machine oil and vanilla; not exactly a pleasant one either.

"I did it."

Turning slightly, they were surprised when a boy stepped into view. He looked to be about fourteen maybe fifteen, well-built and toned muscles, naturally tanned skin, dark hair and brown eyes. He wore a gray vest and GI styled pants, but bandages around his arms and legs.

[Why is he imitating Lee?]

It was true, though. The kid's style was very similar to Lee's, and Rei felt his annoyance grow. "I am Bruce of the White Tigers," The teen announced, almost arrogant with his words. "And I'm here to challenge Rei."

Wait…what?

[They…they replaced me?!]

Scowling, Tyson took a step forward. "No way pal," he snapped. "You'll be fighting me." While the two battled, the feeling of being watched was stronger than ever. Rei glanced towards the nearby roofs, frowning. He hoped that he was seeing things, but he knew what he was seeing when he saw a flash of green hair.

Great.

Just then, a lavender Beyblade came from out of nowhere and slammed into Tyson's, sending the Dragoon spiraling towards Rei. Thankfully, Kai's blue Beyblade knocked the Dragoon back to Tyson.

[About time Kai.]

Rei gave a small smile as Kai stepped into view. "You need some serious training," Kai grumbled, pocketing his Beyblade. They tensed as soft snickering echoed around them, and Bruce flinched. 

"Pathetic."

Bruce, on the other hand, was panicking. "Please Kevin!" He begged, practically tearing up. "You can't kick me out of the White Tigers now!" Bruce continued. "I just got a nickname!"

"How's this for a nickname?"  
"Mr. Loser?"

Depressed, Bruce ran off as a small boy jumped down from a roof; landing with surprising grace. His emerald hair was tied back into a short ponytail with his bangs swept over an eye; leaving a single purple eye.

Kevin Cheng.

"Hello Rei."

Blinking, a rather confused Tyson looked between Rei and Kevin. Rei didn't look exactly happy while Kevin was smirking. Did they know one another? To satisfy his curiosity, Tyson voiced his question. Kevin snorted softly, as if amused. "Oh, he knows me alright," Kevin sneered. "We go back, way back."

"Isn't that right, traitor?"  
[Traitor?!]

As if sensing danger, Tidus placed a gentle hand on Rei's shoulder. "Sora," He said in a soft but firm tone. "You need to calm down." He didn't like the sudden paleness to Rei, or the glaze to his eyes. "You don't need another heart attack!"

Kevin stiffened.  
'Heart attack?'

Suddenly, Rei looked up sharply; golden eyes narrowed slightly. "Sora, what is it?" Selphie asked worriedly. What was he focusing on with such intensity?

"Trouble."

Before anyone could react, Rei ran off. Cursing softly, the islanders went after him, but not before Tidus told the confused Bladebreakers that they would meet back up at the hotel. "What was that all about?" Kenny asked as Max shrugged.

"I have no idea."

.-.-.-.

Rei couldn't believe this. First, he runs into Kevin; only to be called a traitor. Then, only moments ago, he sensed the same energy that had caused him to run in the first place. Now that he was focusing, Rei realized something with a silver of unease.

He knew that energy.

"Sora!"

Slowing down, Rei was surprised when the islanders joined him. Before he could ask them what they were doing there, the sound of screams caused all four to freeze.

"Guái!"

Not surprisingly, terrified civilians ran by them. "Hey," Tidus sounded nervous. "What's going on?" Rei frowned as the dark energy flared; growing stronger. "Something about a monster," he said grimly. "That…doesn't sound good," Wakka said with an uneasy shudder. "Come on," Rei said quietly. "We better check it out." Somehow, Rei wasn't surprised to find the energy source at an all too familiar park.

What the—?

Dozens upon dozens of strange creatures were swarming the park. They were child-like in appearance but they were made from pure shadows, round heads with a thin frame, gangly arms, misshapen feet, wiggling antennas and glowing golden eyes.

Selphie paled.

"Sora," She said nervously. "Those things were there that night." She shivered, remembering that frightening event. Glancing at the shadows, the sense of familiarity struck Rei. Wakka's brown eyes were scanning the amount of shadows, before paling.

"There's too many for us."

[Maybe not…]

Getting a sudden, if yet crazy idea, Rei decided to use that. Closing his eyes and breathing softly, Rei felt himself relax. Deep within his soul, he could feel a pleasant warmth. Faintly, it reminded him of the fresh mountain air.

Perfect.

Opening his eyes, Rei smiled. To the islander's shock, the ground beneath Rei began to glow. A massively intricate seal appeared with four smaller seals circling it. Soft colored lights rose up as the smaller seals began to spin around him in a furious manner. The lights shot into the air, before a large creature soared through the skies. With surprising gentleness, it landed in front of Rei; cooing softly. Whatever it was, it was huge!

It appeared to be a hybrid of some sorts; a mix between avian and draconian It had massive reptilian wings, shaded a creamy tan but with a purplish blue tint. Strangely enough, a golden chain was dangling from a wing. The body was primarily smooth, shaded a warm brown but with purplish blue talons and reptilian tail. Spiky crimson feathers lined its swan-like neck, there was even a 'ponytail' of feathers; the crimson blending into a forest green. Its face was more along the lines of a smooth, bone-like mask. Two small golden horns adorned its beak, with two slightly bigger ones jutting from its forehead. Four pale green eyes glittered with a keen intelligence.

Woah.

"Valefor," Rei whispered, somehow knowing its name. Cooing, it butted his hand as if demanding to be petted. Rei ran his hand through the spirit's feathers, admiring just how soft they really were. "Could you help us out by removing those shadows?" The wind spirit turned its head, and if it was even possible, it was glaring at the shadowy creatures. Valefor let out a frightening shriek, before flying into the air. Its beak opened up, a light swirling with fury.

Uh-oh.

A thin beam of red energy shot out, slicing through every last shadow. The shadows promptly dissolved into purplish black wisps. Curiously enough, crystallized hearts rose up, before disappearing into the clouds. It was Tidus who summed everything perfectly.

"What the hell was that?"


	5. Strange Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being tricked out of his guardian spirit, a furious Rei storms off to the mountains. It would appear that the mountains contain a secret of their own.

[Damn you, Kevin.]

Scowling, Rei watched as his Beyblade wobbled before growing still. For the last several days, the Bladebreakers had been hit by waves of trouble; trouble by the name of Kevin Cheng, that is. The most recent stunt that was pulled was what did it for Rei. Kevin had the audacity to try and steal Kenny's data on their fellow players. After chasing him down, Kevin had somehow tricked Rei into losing Driger. Mind clouded with rage, a near feral Rei had stormed off, disappearing into the mountains. Gritting his teeth, Rei released his Beyblade once more. Just as it started to wobble, a familiar pink Beyblade slammed into it; sending it back to Rei; who easily caught it. 

"Mariah," Rei said quietly.

Mariah Wong caught her Beyblade after hopping down from her perch. The younger girl was watching him carefully, her copper eyes reflecting her worry. "I heard about what'd happened."

Rei stiffened.

.-.-.-.

Unknown to anyone, an emerald green slit opened up high in the skies. If anyone had been watching, they would have been shocked by the sight of an actual ship coming out. It was shaded a deep red with golden tones, but it was somewhat small.

'Please be here, Sora.'

.-.-.-.

Eh?

Rei looked up sharply; a faint sense of energy had caught his attention. Realizing that Mariah was talking, he turned to focus on her. "Is it true?" She repeated once his eyes met hers. Tensing, Rei was looking anywhere but her.

"Rei…" Mariah growled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," He mumbled, cheeks pink. At her glare, Rei winced before sighing. He never could like to them. Lowering his head, he reluctantly nodded. Mariah sighed; she had a feeling that it was true. With Kevin's ominous words being confirmed, her emotions were going haywire. Why didn't Healer Cheng know about Rei's heart? Why did Rei leave the village? And should Rei even be practicing in Beyblade? "Rei," She said softly as she went up to him, taking his hand in hers. "Why don't you come back to the village?" She pleaded. Rei hesitated, before his golden eyes softened. To be honest, he did miss the village, especially hanging with his old team.

Huh?

Hearing something, the two whirled around in shock. Surprisingly enough, the two saw a bruised and battered Tyson, Max and the islander trio, standing there. All five looked utterly exhausted; had they been searching for him ever since he left?

Oh boy.

Tyson, on the other hand, was downright pissed. "Maybe Kevin was right about you!" He yelled. Thankfully, Max was able to keep him back. "Maybe you really are a traitor!"

Ouch.

"Mariah," A sharp voice.

Mariah flinched as Rei cringed, before turning towards the cliffs. Lee Wong, Mariah's older brother, stood there with his arms crossed. "What do you think that you're doing?" He demanded, glaring at her.

Uh…

[What's that sound?]

Rei tilted his head in a curiously cat-like manner. He thought that he heard something, a soft and sweet sound. It sounded like music, was someone singing? What happened next; Rei wasn't sure as his mind blacked out, scared the others greatly. Rei's warm golden eyes darkened slightly before glazing over completely. As if in a trance, he turned to the mountainside where a symbol (that wasn't there before) shimmered against the stone.

A fire symbol?

"Sora," Selphie called in a nervous voice. "You need to come over here." Of course he goes and ignores her! He slowly walked over and placed a gloved hand over the symbol.

Not good.

The symbol glowed softly, before some of the stone wall vanished. To their shock, there was a hidden cavern. Still in a trance, Rei entered the cavern. But as he entered, a colorful shield washed over the entrance.

Not again.

Tyson and Max exchanged uneasy looks. This was beginning to remind them of what they saw back in Seaside. Unfortunately, they had no choice but to wait. It wasn't until the sun began to set, that Rei finally emerged. Rei was slightly pale, but at least his eyes were normal. He stumbled a bit, before collapsing; luckily, Wakka caught him. As he fell asleep, a small marble fell from his hand. It was a dark green stone with a little paw print. Tidus pocketed the stone, a bit curious about it.

'What's happening to you, Sora?'


	6. Road Troubles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Tyson oversleeps, Rei volunteers to stay behind so that the others could make it to the match. Once sleeping beauty is awaken, the five struggle to make it to the match on time. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes in the form of a deadly landslide. Can they make it in time, or will the Bladebreakers be forced to forfeit?

Nearly five days had passed since that odd incident on the mountains. Whatever had happened that day, they would probably never know. Especially since Rei was keeping his mouth shut about the whole thing. 

SNORE

Wincing at the sudden, but loud noise; Rei walked into the room that the team shared. He was just glad that he shared a room with the islanders, at least they didn't snore. Unlike Tyson, who was snoring loud enough to wake the dead. "We're going to be so late," Kenny moaned, running a hand through his hair. "Ugh," Tidus groaned as he and the others walked in. "Does he have to be so loud?" The blond continued, grumbling his words. Rei glanced at the lone clock; which hung from a wall, and his golden eyes widen slightly. 

Crap.  
They were late.

Sighing, he turned to the other members. "Look," Rei said tiredly. "Why don't you guys go on ahead?" Kenny turned sharply, raising an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" He questioned, surprised when the older teen nodded. "Alright," Kenny sounded unsure, but reluctantly accepted it. And so, Rei and the islanders watched as Mr. Dickenson; along with Kai, Max and Kenny, leave for today's matches. The moment they were gone, Rei turned to the trio. "Now," Selphie said lightly. "How do we wake sleeping beauty here?" She gestured to the sleeping Tyson. And for the briefest of moments, Rei recalled a pretty young woman with curly blond hair and a blue gown.

The image soon disappeared.

[Another memory?]

Shaking it off, Rei looked from Tyson; who was still snoring, to the adjoining bathroom. Out of nowhere, Rei got a wicked smile; and headed straight for the bathroom. Seconds later, he came back out; only this time, he had a glass with him. And was that ice floating in there? Grin widening, Rei dumped the contents of the glass straight onto Tyson's head. Said boy say up with a yowl, water dripping as he glared at the snickering teen. "Oh very funny," Tyson grumbled, taking his hat off to dry. "Go and get ready," Rei instructed, setting the glass down. 

"We're late enough as it is." Eyes widening, Tyson hastily changed into some dry clothes; although, his hat was still damp. After checking to make sure that they had everything, Rei ushered them outside where a bus was waiting. However, on the way there; Rei's senses were going haywire. Unease growing, Rei buckled himself in and grabbed onto the seat. "I'd hold on if I were you," He said bluntly, catching their attention. At that exact moment, the bus gave a terrible lurch as the ground trembled.

.-.-.-. 

Unknown to Rei and Tyson, Max was doing his best to stall the match; just so the two could make it. Unfortunately, a very pale Mr. Dickenson hurried up to them. "Bad news, children!" He managed to get out. "I'm afraid that Rei and the others got caught up in a landslide."

Oh no…

.-.-.-.

Rei was the first to crawl out of the wreck, and hopped onto the bus's roof; carefully inspecting the damage. Moments later, the others managed to pull themselves out. One-by-one, the remaining passengers emerged from the wreck; looking around with dazed eyes. Looking ahead, Rei's golden eyes narrowed. Blocking off the road were massive piles of rocks. Well, that would explain why the bus lurched like that; not to mention the mini-quake. Turning his head slightly to the right, Rei saw a path that lead up the mountain; and smiled.

[Perfect timing.]

"We can take that path," Rei pointed it out. "It leads over the mountain and towards the arena." Selphie looked happy about that. "Great!" She squealed, clapping her hands. "How far is it?" Wakka asked, sounding a bit suspicious. 

...

"Only ten k," Rei mumbled.

For a moment, nothing happened; then a loud screech of 'what' caused Rei to falter. Shaking his head, and after rubbing his ears; Rei shot them an ugly look. "Move it," He growled, jumping down. Nervous by the sudden flash of anger, the four trailed after an annoyed Rei. Leaping nimbly from rock to rock, Rei stayed ahead; just a bit further from the others. He was still ticked from their screeching earlier. It wasn't until they were about half way down the path, when Rei's senses went haywire once more.

[Now what?]

Tensing ever so slightly, Rei stilled; his eyes scanning the area frantically. Realizing that something was wrong, the others stopped. Rei didn't appear to hear them; instead, he appeared to be focusing on something rather intensely.

A low rumble.

[There!]

The rumbling grew louder, and with sickening horror; they knew what it was. "Another landslide!" Tidus yelped as dozens of boulders came tumbling after them. Rei managed to dodge two, when he saw a particularly large one speeding straight for an unsuspecting Tyson.

[Shit…Tyson!]

Tyson yelped as he was abruptly shoved to the side; only to be greeted by a loud, sickening crack. Thankfully, the boulder passed over them. When Tyson was able to look back up, he paled at the sight. Selphie was fretting over Rei; who had collapsed. His right ankle was twisted at an odd angle; something white was sticking out. Tyson swallowed thickly, bile rising as he realized that the white object was actually bone. Gritting his teeth, Rei slowly sat up. Blood was seeping from the gaping wound; a burning heat was taking over. "No way you're walking on that," Tidus warned as Rei sighed.

[Figures.]

Looking up, Rei met Tyson's worried blue eyes. "Tyson," He said softly, but firmly. "If you stay on this path, you should get to the arena pretty quickly." Rei leaned back slightly, only to hiss as his leg protested from the sudden movement. Tyson's eyes narrowed slightly, clenching his fists. 

"No way man!"

…huh?

.-.-.-.

After Kai had yelled at him to finish the match, Max won. And of course, Kai won the next round. Unfortunately, they were in a bit of trouble for the final round. Thinking that they would have to forfeit, Kenny was relieved to hear Tyson's voice.

"Whose turn…is it?"

Turning around, the three saw Tyson, Rei and the islanders standing there. For some reason, Wakka was carrying Rei; who was oddly pale. All five were bruised and battered; looking utterly exhausted. "You're up, Tyson," Kenny said softly. While Tyson got into position, the islanders joined the others on the bench. Up in the stands, Mariah was curious as to why Rei had shown up so late; not to mention worried about his condition. She was surprised when Kevin sat next to her; purple eyes angry. "Damn" He growled. "I thought for sure that those landslides would have worked!" Mariah whirled around, before yelling at him for such a dirty trick. Luckily, Tyson was able to pull off a win. While the others celebrated, Rei was left wondering about something. 

[Who caused those landslides?]


	7. White Tigers vs. Bladebreakers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the final match of the Asian Tournament, and it's the White Tigers versus the Bladebreakers. The winner would qualify for the World Championships, and Tyson is eager to beat the home team. However, not everyone shares his excitement. By the end of the tournament, Rei's reason for leaving the village will be revealed. Question is, can Rei hold out against his old team?

A few days after the Bladebreakers had their last match; which had gotten them into the finals, a shocking revelation was made. It was the final match to decide who would go against the Bladebreakers. And one of the teams were…?

Who else?  
The White Tigers.

It wasn't until Lee's turn that the Bladebreakers got angry; well, Kai was more annoyed than anything else. Rei's golden eyes narrowed slightly when Galeon unleashed the 'tiger claw'. What the hell was Lee thinking?! Upon winning, Lee turned and glared murderously at Rei; copper eyes reflecting an inner hatred. "I should have gotten Driger!" He hissed. "Not that worthless traitor!" Lee continued, before uttering the one thing that truly hurt. "I wish that you never came to our village!" Without warning, a soft voice whispered within Rei's mind.

/"Are you really going to let him get away with that?"/  
…huh?

.-.-.-.

The day of the finals had finally arrived, and it was the White Tigers versus the Bladebreakers. First up, were Max and Gary. As the two stepped up to the Bey-Dish, Gary’s stomach rumbled, and a large teardrop appeared on the back of Max's head.

[Some things never change.]

As the two Beyblades clashed furiously, Max decided to call forth Draciel. In a flash of purple energy, the massive armored turtle appeared. Unfortunately for Max, Gary wasn't intimidated and called for his own spirit.

"Galzzy!"

Max flinched as a massive armored bear rose up from Gary's Beyblade in a blaze of red energy. From where the team was sitting, Kai's eyes were wide. "I must admit," He murmured. "I'm impressed." Kai turned to Rei; who was watching the match with sharp, but weary eyes."Is it as impressive as it looks?" Rei frowned slightly, but kept his eyes on the match. "Let's just say I'm glad that I'm not in Max's shoes," He muttered. "Do it, Galzzy!" Gary ordered as the bear let out a frightening roar. Max flinched violently as Galzzy slammed into Draciel, the bear's claws tearing into the turtle's right arm. Unfortunately, much to the blonde’s shock; this move brought the dish down, utterly destroying it. Needless to say, Gary won. After shifting through the rubble, Max found and pocketed the slightly damaged Beyblade.

Eh?

The blond looked up, a bit surprised to find Gary in front of him. The older boy was smiling as he held out a hand. "That was a good match," He rumbled. "I hope we can be friends." Blinking owlishly, Max gave a slight smile and shook the teen's hand. Knowing that he was up next, Rei stood up; only to grimace at the sight of his opponent. It figures that he would be fighting Mariah. Thankfully, the dish had been replaced in time for their match. "Show those White Tigers what we're made of Rei!" Tyson cheered. Without warning, Rei whirled around and glared at Tyson with such rage, that the younger boy squeaked. Gritting his teeth, Rei stalked towards the dish. A pale Max placed a shaky hand on a nervous Tyson's shoulder. "Tyson," He warned. "It's best not to remind Rei of his old team."

/"No shit, Sherlock."/

Rei didn't even twitch.  
[You again?]

There was a faint sense of something, and Rei did his best to ignore it. He needed to keep calm; a level head was always needed for something like this. After all, it wouldn't do him any good if people knew that he was hearing things. 

Sigh…  
[Why me?]

Mariah got into position, as did Rei; but she noticed that something was off about him. Even as their Beyblades clashed, Rei seemed to be distracted by something. There was a slight glaze to his eyes, and his pupils were slowly thinning.

Aw hell.  
'He's going feral', Mariah fretted.

Mariah may not have known much about Rei, but there was one thing that she did know. Ever since his arrival, Mariah had noticed that he had a tendency to go feral whenever under any emotional duress. Like right now, for instance. And when in a feral state, Rei was at his most dangerous.

Crap.  
'I am so dead', she thought; uneasy.

Up in the stands, Selphie was nervous. "Something's not right here," She murmured. Wakka frowned; silently agreeing with her. Tidus' blue eyes narrowed slightly; tensing just a bit; and no wonder. A sickly dark, purplish mist could be seen; rising from Rei's still form. As they watched, the mist thickened; curling around the silent teen. That did it for them, and all three stood up in anger. Mr. Dickenson; who had been sitting next to Selphie, looked up with curious eyes.

"Sora!" Selphie yelled.  
Eh–?

Somehow, despite the crowded auditorium, Rei heard her; as did the White Tigers. It was a bit unnerving for the brunette, as those slitted gold eyes glared at her. "What would Riku and Kairi think if you gave in?!" Wakka yelled, before shuddering at such a thought.

[Who…?]

The rage that had steadily been growing started to falter as a certain name was uttered. Groaning softly, Rei fell to one knee; grasping his head as if in pain. Seeing this, those that knew Rei, felt a sense of alarm. Something was terribly wrong, why had he collapsed like that? While many were left confused, if not worried about Rei; said teen was practically convulsing from where he had been kneeling. His head was throbbing, and it almost felt like his blood was boiling from within. And just when he thought the pain couldn't get any worse, it stopped. 

E-eh?

As the pain began to leave, a blurry image rose up. The only thing that he could make out was pure silver hair, and those eyes…cat-like jade. Rei's heart fluttered wildly, and he felt his cheeks heat up. He was confused by the image, not to mention the emotions that it brought. Mariah, on the other hand, was quite curious. After Rei had collapsed; she swore that she saw what appeared to be a black mist, coming from the trembling teen. Mariah shook her head at such an absurd thought. However, as he stood up, Mariah saw that Rei's golden eyes had flashed a bright shade of blue; now that was odd. 

'Was I seeing things?' She wondered. Looking the teen over, Mariah realized that there was something different about Rei. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. If she had to guess, Rei felt more at peace. Looking over, Rei gave her a slight smile; just as his Beyblade began to glow. Realization dawned on her, and she grinned as her Beyblade began to emit an electric pink aura. From where they were sitting, Tyson and Max exchanged confused looks. "Are we missing something?" Tyson whispered to Max; who shrugged in return.

"Driger!" Rei yelled. The massive tiger appeared in a flash of green energy; growling softly. "Galux!" Mariah yelled. She was pleased when the leopard appeared in a flash of pink light; catching the attention of the Bladebreakers.

[Time to finish this.]

"TIGER CLAW/CAT SCRATCH–"  
"ATTACK!" They shouted as one. The tiger and the leopard lunged for each other; snarling. There came a loud crack, the ground trembled, and dust billowed everywhere. As the dust slowly cleared, it was obvious to many who had won.

It was Rei.

"Yes!" Tyson cheered, jumping with excitement. "He won!" Mariah pocketed her Beyblade as did Rei, before watching as Rei was congratulated by his team. Seeing how his eyes were bright and the soft smile, Mariah realized that Rei had moved on.

'At least he's happy', she mused.

Still smiling, Rei sat next to Max. Tyson got up, as it was now his turn. Unfortunately for Tyson, he was up against Lee. Rei was lost in thought, pondering over the blurry image; as Tyson and Lee duked it out. "I don't believe it!" Kenny said loudly, sounding shocked.

Huh?

Looking up sharply, Rei was surprised by the outcome. "They tied!" Max continued his voice low and awe sounding. Kenny grimaced as he realized what this meant: a death match. Question was who was going to fight Lee?

"I'll do it." 

Eh?

Kenny looked up, a bit surprised by Rei's sudden statement. Wait, had he voiced that thought out loud? Kenny felt his cheeks heat up as Rei quietly stood up. Yep, he had definitely said that out loud.

Whoops.

Tyson was unsure about this, but seeing the determination shining in those golden eyes; he reluctantly allowed it. As Rei approached the dish, something felt off. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but his instincts were going haywire. His eyes scanned the arena, seemingly dismissing Lee; much to the younger boy's annoyance. Meanwhile, the islanders were getting to be very nervous. "Something's not right here," Selphie murmured. "You think he's sensing something?" Wakka asked curiously. Tidus' blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully, before paling as he realized something. "What…what if he's sensing them?" Selphie and Wakka turned sharply to the blond; both were somewhat pale.

[Where…?]

Rei's eyes suddenly zeroed in on the more shadowy areas; frowning deeply. Lee, on the other hand, was getting angrier and angrier as Rei continued to ignore him. What was he so focused on, anyway?

Oh hell…  
[Why me?]

As Rei's eyes narrowed, Lee finally realized that something was wrong. Lee's head slowly turned, following Rei's gaze. His tanned skin turned several shades lighter as he saw just what was hiding in the shadows.

Eyes.

Dozens upon dozens of glowing eyes glared at the two nervous bladers. It was quite a curious sight, not to mention a bit worrying. Slowly, but surely, quite a few shadow like creatures seemed to jump out; at least, that's what they looked like to Lee.

Then, a second creature emerged.

To Rei, it was more humanoid than the Shadow; taller too. It was clad in a dark blue bodysuit with dark pink stars at the knees, thick silver bands were wrapped firmly around the wrists, massive four-fingered blood tipped claws, dark boots that resembled the Shadow's feet, and a silver helmet that was wrapped around its head. The helmet had a jagged look to it, allowing bright gold eyes to stare out. Rei's attention was drawn to the symbol on its chest. It was a black heart outlined in thin crimson red, with a thin and jagged red "x" going through it. Seeing that symbol sent a silver of unease through Rei.

[I know that symbol…]  
[…don't I?]

The moment they saw the glowing eyes, the islanders cursed softly. "There's no way that Sora can fight them all," Selphie fretted. "And that Shadow has company," Tidus growled. Frowning, she turned back to the floor; watching Rei with worried eyes.

Oh great.

Down below, Rei shifted as Shadows and those new creatures surrounded him. Was there anything that he had, that could take these creatures down, without hurting anyone? Rei's mind drifted over to what he knew, before realization dawned on him.

Of course.

Giving a slight smile, Rei closed his eyes; allowing a familiar warmth to wash over him. As his eyes closed, lightning cackled around him; catching the attention of many. A somewhat sparkling purple mist surrounded Rei, just as the sounds of gunfire and glass shattering; ripped through the air. As the mist cleared, Rei spun the handgun with ease as sparkling petals fluttered around him. Blinking owlishly, Lee ended up doing a double take. What is he wearing? Lee wondered, eyeing Rei wearily. Instead of his traditional uniform, Rei was wearing something a bit more…revealing; for him, anyway. Rei was wearing a black leather jacket that was trimmed in dark crimson; dark red-brown belts wrapped firmly around the arms. Following this, was a pair of black leather pants, knee black boots and fingerless black gloves. There was even a gun holster strapped to a thigh. The outfit did nothing to hide his slender, yet toned frame. 

Golden eyes scanned the shadows, silently taking in the amount; before wincing. There were far too many for him alone, a fact that was not lost on the islanders. Selphie could only watch as dozens of shadows swarmed her friend; feeling utterly helpless. Down below, Rei was doing his best to dodge the swiping claws. Strangely enough, the marked one reminded him of a soldier. Still dodging, it wasn't until he saw a Soldier sneaking up behind an unsuspecting Lee; that Rei truly panicked.

[No!]

Realizing the danger, Rei drew in all of his strength; and raced for Lee. Lee, on the other hand, was quite confused. His confusion only grew upon seeing Rei running toward him. Before Lee could even react, Rei had shoved him aside. Lee was about to retort, when he heard Rei's sudden, pained cry.

What the–?

Looking up sharply, Lee was startled to find Rei clutching his left side; blood seeping through his fingers. Getting to his feet, Lee was shocked. He couldn't believe what had just happened.

Rei…he…he…  
'Saved me…?'

Growling softly, Rei staggered back; one hand on his bleeding side. "That does it," He grumbled sourly. Just like before, Rei instinctively knew what to do. And with what happened next, many would remember this for a long time. Releasing his hand, Rei bent over slightly; his bloodied hand reaching up to his chest. To the shock of those who could see, a ball of pure flames floated out; hovering in Rei's hand.

Then he dropped it.

The flames sank into the ground; and a massive, yet intricate, seal appeared underneath him. Without warning, the ground exploded, and a massive creature, rose up. Unfortunately, the explosion had sent Rei flying into the air; luckily, the creature caught him and set him down gently. It was massive; at least six feet tall and appeared to be a mixture of lupine and feline. Its skin was a shade of brown that reminded many of chocolate; blood red flames burned into each shoulder. There was a flaming mane that burned a deep red-gold, flames burned around its muzzle as well as its elbows and claws. 

Despite its animalistic appearance, it was built like a human; and a muscular one, at that. Strangely enough, it wore pants, er–sort of. In reality, the 'pants' were flames. It had human hands, but paws for feet; the hands being much larger. However, both ended in sharp, thick black nails. Thick, black horns jutted out from its forehead; circling its face and turning downwards, along its back. Also, a single curved horn had pierced each shoulder. Jagged lines could barely be seen; marring its arms.  
Last, but not least, thick gold bands adorned its wrists and ankles; pure flames dangling from the wristbands. A blue-and-gold beaded necklace hung around its neck. It let out a furious howl, slamming a fist into the ground; yellow eyes glowing softly.

Wow.

Like before, Rei somehow knew its name; which should have been impossible. "Ifrit," He whispered, feeling safe as those yellow eyes turned to him. Ifrit gave him a slight nod, before turning to the Shadows once more.

[You got it.]

Ifrit opened his muzzle, flames swirling ominously; before forming a large ball of dark red flames. The newly formed flaming ball suddenly spiraled towards a large group of Shadows and Soldiers. Upon direct contact, they burst into purplish black mists; crystallized hearts fluttering up, disappearing before their very eyes. With Ifrit taking care of the larger groups, Rei was left to deal with the remaining Shadows. Grabbing his guns, Rei aimed them at several Shadows; and pulled the trigger. Almost instantly, tiny, yet glowing bullets shot out; and tore through the Shadows. Slowly, but surely, the two were driving the Shadows back; although Rei was beginning to pale. Finally, after what felt like forever, the Shadows and Soldiers disappeared; the crystal hearts vanishing. Rei fell to one knee, decidedly pale and breathing a bit heavily; his clothes returning to his natural uniform. Once again, Ifrit gave Rei a slight nod; before his body became a small, flaming ball. The flame returned to Rei; sinking into his body once more.

"R-Rei…?"

Eh?

The exhausted teen looked up, his gold eyes somewhat dull. Lee swallowed thickly, having never seen Rei in such a state. "Were those," Lee took a deep breath. "Were those things the reason why you left the village?" Despite his temper, Lee wasn't stupid. He had seen how those creatures had gone after Rei. Come to think of it, the night Rei left; hadn't there been a storm? Rei was silent as their teams joined them; as if lost in thought. With Tyson's help, Rei slowly got to his feet; albeit he was shaken. Lee bit his lip, turning his head away. If it was true, then Rei wasn't a traitor. To be honest, he missed the older boy. 

Then a tired voice spoke.  
"Yes."

Oh boy.


	8. Welcome to America!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoping to reconnect with Rei, the White Tigers follow the Bladebreakers on their journey. Arriving in America, however, trouble once again strikes.

In the end, it was decided that the Bladebreakers were the winners. Lee, desperate to reconnect with Rei; contacted the elders. Thakfully, his grandfather and oddly enough; Healer Mai, were already at the arena. Apparently, Healer Mai had overheard Kevin's revelation of Rei's health; and had been worried about the amnesic teen. 

Rei was surprised, if not weary, when the two elders approached them. His reaction did not go unnoticed by his team. "Rei," Tyson's soft voice snapped Rei out from his disturbing thoughts. "Is everything okay?" However, Rei ignored him and focused on the two elders. "Elder Wong," Rei gave a slight nod to Lee's grandfather. Before anyone could even react, the elderly woman marched up to Rei and actually slapped the poor boy. Yelping, Rei staggered back; one hand reaching up to his now reddening cheek. "What was that for, lady?" Tyson snapped as the White Tigers winced.

Bad move Tyson.

"What were you thinking, boy?" She growled, glaring at a startled Rei. Blinking owlishly, Rei rubbed his cheek; wondering what she was hammering on about. Out of the corner of his eye, Rei saw that Kevin was inching away; looking rather nervous.

What was...?  
Oh.

Thankfully, the islanders arrived; sparing Rei from Healer Mai's wrath. While Selphie checked him over, Wakka and Tidus were doing their best to calm the agitated woman down. Selphie frowned, gently touching Rei's cheek; causing Rei to wince. 'Nothing broken', she decided.

Just bruised.

Somehow, the two were able to calm the woman down; at least to the point where she wouldn't attack Rei. Huffing, she turned to Kevin; their conversation was spoken entirely in Mandarin. As their conversation grew louder, Rei grimaced before hanging his head.

[Why me?]

.-.-.-.

The two elders did grant the White Tigers permission to leave with the Bladebreakers. So long as they provided necessary information to the village, that is. This also included updates on Rei's health, much to his annoyance.

.-.-.-.

With things settled between Rei and the White Tigers, the two teams found themselves in America a week later. Actually, Mr. Dickenson took them to a facility that was owned and operated by the Beyblade Federation Association.

A facility that was led by Dr. Judy Tate.  
Max's mother.

Despite her age, Judy Tate was a pretty woman. Her blond hair and blue eyes were the same shade as Max's; only her hair fell a bit passed her shoulders. She also wore a white lab coat over her purple business suit. As Dr. Tate led them through the facility, on their very own personalized tour; Rei glanced at their extra companion. Why on earth did Mr. Dickenson invite Tyson's eccentric grandfather? Shaking his head, Rei turned his attention back onto the tour.

Eh?

He was surprised to find Dr. Tate talking to a girl who appeared to be about his age. She was pretty, in a tomboyish sort of way. The girl had shoulder length, reddish-orange hair that was styled very similar to Selphie's, pale skin an sharp, yet intelligent navy blue eyes. And judging by her uniform, Rei assumed her to be a tennis player.

Wait...  
[Something's not right here...]

Tensing slightly, a silver of unease were through Rei. His eyes were scanning the laboratory they were in; his instincts practically screaming. He was getting a familiar sensation, and he gave the slightest of winces.

[Not again...]

Seeing his agitation, the islanders got a bit nervous. "Why do I get the feeling that it's them again?" Selphie muttered; thankfully, none of the Beybladers heard her. Without warning, Rei stumbled a bit; a pained grunt leaving him.

What the-?!

Whirling around, they were greeted to the sight of some very familiar creatures. "It's those things again!" Tyson growled, catching the attention of Dr. Tate, Emily and his grandfather. "What do you mean 'again'?" Dr. Tate demanded, in a sharp, yet worried tone. However, much to her annoyance; she was ignored. Instead, the two teams were focusing on the emerging creatures. Rei's gold eyes were taking in everything, and he silently cursed; realizing the truth about their dilemma.

And none of it was good.

Several Soldiers suddenly lashed out; some lunged for Rei while others blocked the two teams from even helping. Blue eyes widening at this, Emily's mind raced over all of the possibilities.

Unless...?  
Of course!

A Soldier slammed into Rei, their claws slicing into his chest; and Rei hit a wall that was a few feet away. "Rei!" Mariah screamed, and tried to run over; but Lee held her back. Rei groaned softly, a sharp pain shooting across his spine from the painful collision.

"Rei," Max yelled.  
"Look out!"

Eyes snapping open, Rei looked up sharply; before paling. Three Soldiers leapt into the air, ready to bring their gleaming claws down on the now very nervous teen. However, this would not occur. Moments from ripping him apart, Rei Kon vanished. 

Huh?

"W-Where did he go?" Mariah stammered, eyes wide. It was curious to see the creatures tilting their heads in confusion. As if by some silent command, they too, vanished.

"What the hell was that?"

.-.-.-.

Hmm...

A soft groan escaped Rei; the teen was partially curled up. Eyes fluttering wildly, Rei struggled to awaken. Gold eyes slowly opened, only for soft sunlight to shine through; causing him to wince. Rei froze; sunlight...?

Oh hell.

Shielding his eyes, Rei slowly sat up; looking around curiously. Instead of the lab, Rei found himself in an endless field. In the distance, he could hear the soft sounds of a gentle waterfall. He was surrounded by beautiful blue and purple flowers.

[Where am I...?]

Huh?

Feeling something nestled against him, Rei looked down with curiosity. There, resting against his right leg was a gleaming blue-green marble. Picking it up, Rei inspected it carefully. Engraved into the surface, was the image of a modified handgun.

The Alchemist...  
Interesting.

Shrugging, Rei pocketed it before getting to his feet. Although it was peaceful, something about it didn't feel right. But, what could be sending his instincts into overdrive like this?

Hm...?

As if sensing something, Rei slowly turned around. His eyes widen slightly, paling at what he saw. A heavy sigh escaped Rei as he hung his head.

[Why me?]


	9. Interlude - A Fleeting Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No idea where he was, Rei is confronted by a curious image. Perhaps a memory of his forgotten past?

[Where...am I?]

Blinking owlishly, Rei looked around with wide golden eyes. He remembered being on the shore of a tropical island, but this was no longer paradise. Instead, the confused teen found himself standing in n endless black void; the only light source, shone above him.

/"Do you remember ____?"/

Rei inwardly frowned as a voice whispered from all around. It was hard to describe, the voice was young and old, male and female, and yet...it was none of them. Strangely enough, the voice was familiar. As if he had heard it before, and who knows; maybe he had.

[Remember what?]

As if by some silent command, the light from above, suddenly flared; forcing forcing Rei to shield his eyes, lest he went blind. Through the blinding light, he swore that he heard something. As the light began to die down, the sound grew louder, more vibrant. And when the light had died, Rei was left staring in utter shock.

Oh wow.

There, looming ahead, was a grand looking castle. The castle shone with a mixture of soft cream and warm brown, and from what he could tell; four different towers. Two large pillars surrounded an intricately designed wooden door, a wonderful looking garden and were those water pillars surrounding the palace?

Wait...

[I know this place...]  
[...don't I?]

/"Hey, what are you doing?"/

Rei stopped, as a soft and boyish voice reached his ears. Ears twitching slightly, Rei turned around, wondering who it was. He was surprised to find another teenager, a male; who looked to be about his age. He had short, but wild flaming red hair, fair skin and delicate features, but bright green catlike eyes. He appeared to be wearing a sleeveless white shirt, a sleeveless orange jacket, light brown tunic pants, red-and-white sneakers and a yellow scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck.

Huh.

The boy was walking up to a curious Rei, but to the younger male's surprisement, walked right past him. Realizing that something behind him, had caught the redhead's attention, and Rei turned around and his golden eyes widen.

[No way...]

The redhead was fast approaching a small boy, a boy who was standing by one of the water pillars. Now, as Rei looked closer, he realized that the pillars were in reality, cleverly designed water fountains. The small boy was young, very young and Rei assumed that he was about five or six. The little boy turned, and Rei was able to get a good look at him; before raising an eyebrow. Despite the age, it felt as if Rei was staring into a mirror. The little boy was almost identical to him in appearance; only the hair, eyes and skin were all off.

The little boy bore messy chocolate spikes, slightly tanner skin and bright oceanic blue eyes. His clothing; while simple, were made of the finest of materials. A cream colored tee-shirt, light brown shorts, a gold trimmed red vest and sturdy looking sandals. The boy took a step back, looking a bit nervous as the redhead approached him. The redhead knelt down to the boy, his green eyes friendly. /"You lost there, little man?"/ The boy bit his lip, but remained silent. It was at that moment that another voice called out, but this time, for the redhead. /"Lea, where are you?"/

Rei turned, watching as another teen, but this boy was the complete opposite of the redhead, or Lea. The new boy was the same age as Lea, but with shocking blue hair that stuck up everywhere, tanner skin and almond shaped aquamarine eyes. And unlike Lea, his clothes were on a more darker tone. The new boy wore a sleeveless black shirt, a short sleeved dark blue jacket that was trimmed in deep blue, cream colored tunic pants and black combat boots. There, imprinted on his jacket, was a crescent moon.

/"Over here, Isa!"/

[Lea and Isa, hm?]

The blue haired teen saw where the redhead was, and his aqua eyes widen slightly, before narrowing. Rei was surprised, and thoughtful. It would appear that Isa recognized the little boy, but why hadn't Lea? Seeing the blue haired teen approach the two, Rei had a feeling that Lea may or may not be denser than Tyson. Seeing Isa coming forward, the little boy cringed; taking a step back. Lea saw this, and he seemed to panic when he realized that the little boy was frightened of his friend. /"Hey,"/ He said softly, catching the boy's attention. /"It's alright,"/ He assured the frightened boy. /"Isa may look scary, but he's really cool."/

Isa flushed when he heard Lea's appraisal, and was pleased when the little boy relaxed. That was good, it wouldn't do him or Lea any good if the boy worked up into a frenzy. Rei frowned, watching as the scene continued to unfold itself. He then realized that Lea was still talking. /"My name's Lea, of course that's Isa,"/ He gestured to the silent blue haired teen. /"What's yours, kiddo?"/ The small boy was silent, looking up with wide blue eyes. For a moment, nothing happened, then he spoke.

/"It's..."/


	10. Cruising in Style

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teams are treated to a rare cruise that would take them onto the World Championships. Too bad this peace doesn't last long.

{Weary, golden eyes slowly opened and Rei; somehow, was not surprised to find himself staring up at the white ceiling of a hospital room. "Sora!" Selphie's relieved voice broke through his hazy mind, and the dark haired boy turned his head slightly to the left. There, sitting in a cluster of chairs by his bed, were the islander trio. "Thank god that you're awake," Tidus breathed, his blue eyes somewhat glassy. Rei tried to speak, only to give a dry cough. Selphie got him a glass of cool water and helped him to sit up. Taking it slow, Rei drank in the cool water, glad for something to soothe his dry throat. "Wha…what happened?" He rasped, as Selphie set the glass down. 

"You tell us," Wakka said dryly. "You fell through some kind of hole and no one could find you for several hours," Tidus piped up, his voice reflecting his unease. "You reappeared in Dr. Tate's office," Selphie continued. "But, you've been unconscious for some time." Rei froze, a sense of unease was building up. "H-how long was I out?" He asked weakly. The trio tensed, before Selphie spoke up in a quiet voice. "The entire American tournament." Rei sat up, only to regret it as his vision blurred; forcing him to lay back down. Seeing his rising panic, Wakka held up a hand as if to calm the younger boy. "Don't worry, ya," He assured Rei. "Your team won de tournament." Rei blinked owlishly, before turning wide eyes on the orange-head.

"S-seriously?" He stammered.  
"Yep."

Rei shook his head in disbelief, amazed that the Bladebreakers had been able to win a tournament with him out of commission. Tidus tilted his head, something had been bothering him for awhile. "What were you dreaming about?" He asked curiously as they turned to look at him. "It seemed to be pretty intense." Rei was silent. "It wasn't a dream," He murmured. "It felt like a memory," Rei continued, looking up with confusion. "And yet, it wasn't." The trio blinked, surprised by this. "Was it of the island?" Selphie questioned, and was disappointed when he shook his head. 

Wakka looked thoughtful.

"It's possible dat was a memory," He mused. "But a memory before de island," Wakka's brown eyes bore into Rei's golden orbs. "Sora, you aren't from Destiny Islands," He said, softly. "Which means dis memory was from your homeworld." Rei frowned, biting his lip as he looked away. "So, there's no one on the island named Lea and Isa?"

"'Fraid not."}

.-.-.-.

Sigh.

Rei looked up at the elegant cruise line that was set to take them to Russia; where the World Championships was to be held. They were lucky that they had three weeks until the Championships. So, this sweet cruise would be perfect for them to relax; and in the case of the Bladebreakers, come up with a strategic plan for the tournament. "Finally!" Tyson cheered, stretching his arms as he put his hands behind his head. "We can relax!" Max nodded in agreement, his blue eyes never leaving sight of the magnificent ocean liner. "Let's just hope there won't be any trouble," Kenny muttered and Rei and the trio suddenly winced, shaking their heads.

[Poor choice of words, Kenny.]

.-.-.-.

They put their bags into their rooms, before everyone went off to explore. Tyson, Max and Kevin headed for the arcade, Gary went to check out the buffet, Kenny stayed in his room to work on some strategies, Kai was who knows where, Mariah went to hang out by the swimming pool, and Lee stuck close to Rei and the islanders. It wasn't surprising, with all of the bad luck that seemed to be hitting the older teen.

Too bad the peace wouldn't last.

.-.-.-.

"Rei?"

Hm?

The dark haired teen; who had been leaning against a railing, his golden eyes dark as he gazed out at the ocean. He had one hand in a pocket, the other gripping the railing in a somewhat tight grasp. Surrounding him, were of course, the islanders; watching Rei with concern. The trio looked up as Lee approached, and it took a couple of tries before Lee was able to get Rei's attention.

"Is everything okay?"

Rei hesitated, his eyes absentmindedly going from the islanders to Lee, before he focused on the ocean once more. Lee was afraid that Rei wasn't going to talk, only for the older boy to sigh heavily. "Not really," He mumbled. "It's just…" Lee raised an eyebrow, wondering what was bothering the older boy so much. His eyes traveled to meet the islanders, who looked a bit unsure about something. "Sora's starting to remember his past," Selphie said quietly. "From before he came to the island," Tidus murmured. Lee frowned, looking between the four of them with confusion. "But, isn't that a good thing?" He asked, his voice curious. "It should be," Tidus muttered, with a shrug. "But, we think that something happened when Sora was real little, and he most likely blocked it out," Selphie continued. "And he's starting to remember it."

Lee looked back to Rei, and tilted his head. "Something else is bothering you," He murmured. Rei blinked owlishly, before flushing slightly. How did Lee always know what was on his mind? His cheeks still a bit red, Rei carefully pulled out a simple, yet sturdy, leather band. To their curiosity, seven different colored gems shone softly from the band. Strange, only three of the gems had a bright tint. Taking a closer look, the gems each bore a symbol. The three bright ones, their symbols were a handgun, a treasure chest and a sword. The other symbols were a witch's hat, a gnarled staff, a larger and modified gun, and finally a paw print. 

Odd. 

Seeing the gem with the witch's hat, sent a spark of familiarity through Lee. "Is that the one you used to save my life?" Lee asked, curiously. Rei turned a light pink, before he slipped the band back into his pocket. He had been rather embarrassed by that event. 

Eh?

He tensed, as it now felt as if he was being watched by someone, or something in this case. "Sora," Tidus' voice was sharp and weary. "What is it?" Rei's golden eyes narrowed, silently scanning the area around them. "We're being watched," He hissed, as he kept his expression calm. The others tensed, and the islanders wondered if it was the shadow creatures watching them. Suddenly, and without warning, the ship gave a lurch. Those on deck, stumbled; sending the passengers into a panic. "Did we hit something?" Lee demanded, doing his best to keep himself steady as the ship gave another lurch. Rei's eyes turned cold and slitted, as he glared out at the ocean. "More like we're being attacked," He growled, baring his sharper than normal teeth in a snarl. Shaking his head, Tidus peered over the railing, and realized that Sora was indeed correct. Despite the dark waters around them, he could see multiple objects surrounding the ship. And he had the feeling that these weren't friendlies.

A third lurch.

"Sora!" Selphie screamed.

Tidus whirled around, blue eyes wide when he saw that Rei was a bit too close to the railing; beginning to teeter. Several of the passengers suddenly screamed as lightning bolts of all things, began to rain down. One bolt got a bit too close to Rei, and the dark haired teen gasped as he was sent stumbling back. Rei slipped and would have plunged into the ocean, if not for a strong hand grabbing onto his right wrist.

Huh?

Rei's eyes snapped open, and he found himself staring into the red-wine eyes of a slightly older boy. The boy had sharp, yet curved shocking purple hair, sharp European features, fair skin and startling red-wine eyes.

[Who is he?]

.-.-.-.

Robert Jürgens, had been on a cruise from America that would take him back home. He had been lounging on the main deck, keeping an eye and ear out for any potential Beybladers; when the ship had given a sudden and terrible lurch. The lurch had caused him to rise to his feet and looked around warily; noting the panicking passengers, save for five other teens who were by one of the railings. Something about them called out to him, perhaps it had to do with the dark haired teen; the one who was slightly younger than himself? Robert was about to approach them, when the ship lurched again, and this time, lightning rained down. He heard a scream coming from the direction of the five, and he looked up with wide eyes.

Oh no…

Robert saw that the boy who caught his attention, was teetering over the railing; which had a broken patch behind him. A lightning bolt had struck too close, sending the poor boy stumbling back and would have fallen if not for Robert darting forward and grabbing his outstretched hand.

.-.-.-.

"I got you!" The purple-haired teen grunted, trying his best to keep a hold on Rei. From the corner of his eye, Rei saw that the islanders and Lee were scrambling to help him and the strange teen, but it seemed who, or what, was attacking the ship, wasn't going to let it happen.

Another lurch.

The purple-haired teen's red eyes widen when the lurch caused him to lose his grip on the damaged railing, and both boys plunged into the unforgiving waters below. The panicked cries of the passengers who had seen this, were the last things that the boys heard before hitting the water. The moment the two hit the water, and didn't surface; both Wakka and Tidus cursed. Selphie gave them the go-ahead nod, knowing that they could handle any water combat; due to playing Blitzball so much. She then went over to Lee, and could only hope that the two could rescue Sora and that other boy before something could happen to the two.

.-.-.-.

Diving into the water, the two swam through the current, trying to see where Sora and the other boy had landed. Soon, Tidus spotted the two floating where two types of odd creatures were surrounding them. 'Are they like those shadows from before?' Tidus wondered, taking his sword as Wakka readied his Blitzball.

The largest creature resembled the deadly angler fish; but it was disgustingly large. It was primarily a light blue and deep blue jagged lines, while there was darkness masking its glowing golden eyes. There was a frightening smile, and were those fins shaped like hands?! Hovering nearby, was a humanoid resembling a scuba diver of some sorts. It was shaded a mixture of various green, but its head resembled a missile of all things. Part of the missile head was open, revealing glowing golden eyes. Unlike the giant fish, it was wielding a trident.

Not good.

One of the divers got a bit daring, and to the islanders rage, it dragged its trident along Sora's side; the sharp metal slicing into tender flesh. Almost immediately, dark blood began to flow, staining the water around him. At the same time, the purple-haired teen woke up, and his head snapped to the side; only to stare in shock as blood continued to flow from Sora's side. His red eyes caught sight of Tidus and Wakka; the later taking out the divers. Tidus turned his head slightly to meet the purple-haired teen, and gave the barest of nods. The purple-haired teen nodded, and grabbed Sora; but made sure to be gentle, and began to swim for the surface. But not before one of those huge fish caught sight of them.

It growled, showing its fangs, before swimming for the two boys. Cradling Sora, the purple-haired teen twisted his body so that he could take the blow; and closed his eyes, waiting for the fatal move. Only…nothing happened. In his shock, he opened his eyes and could only stare as the fish gave an inaudible screech; before its body dissolved into black mist and a crystallized heart flew off. 

What the -- ?

Shaking his head, he continued his trek; and the two surfaced. He saw that the dark-haired teen was growing paler by the moment and knew that they needed to get back on the ship. Thankfully, the ship had come to halt when the attack had   
started.

Now, where were those two boys?

.-.-.-.

Robert was relieved when the two odd boys surfaced moments later, and they swam over to where Robert and the dark haired boy was. "Thanks for protecting Sora," The blond whispered, once the two reached them. The orange haired teen gently took Sora from Robert, just as several lifesavers with ropes, were tossed over. Robert and the blond grabbed one each, while the orange haired teen kept a firm grip on Sora, and grabbed a saver with his free hand. It took the crew several moments to pull all four up, and one crew member went to call for a medic; once they saw the damage. Those who had been at the pool, during the attack, approached the shivering boys and carefully placed their towels around them, relieved as their shivering slowly ceased.

Selphie hurried over, thankful for the fact that she always kept some spare potions on hand. She knelt down to Wakka, and pulled out two potions and a mega-potion; administering the contents to an unconscious Sora. Lee was horrified by the sight of his injured friend; why was Rei always getting hurt? "Come on, Sora," Wakka said, his voice soft and urgent. "Ya need ta wake up." Rei groaned, shaking his head and unconsciously burying his head into Wakka's shoulder. It was a cute sight, though. Feeling something by his feet, Lee looked down, only to see a gem; much like the ones that Rei had, sparkling up at him. Curiously, he knelt down and picked it up and inspected the cloudy gem. The only thing that was visible, was a lightning bolt. 

'Wonder what this is?'


	11. Corruption at its Finest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ship has reached the halfway point of London England, and the gang disembark for a short time. Only to learn that the ship had left without them! How were they going to get out of this one? And who was it that was following them?

London, England

Three days after that incident, the cruise ship came to a port that was in London, England. This was the halfway point, and after this, the cruise would arrive in Russia. Guests were allowed to disembark for awhile, while the crew refueled. Of those who chose to disembark, were the two teams and the islanders; but not before getting the departure time from a crew member.

However…

Upon arriving at the designated time, the group was shocked by the sight. The cruise ship, the same one that was set to take them to Russia, was nowhere to be seen. "Sir!" Kenny called out to a bystander, who promptly stopped. "What happened to the ship that had been here?" The man looked the group over curiously, before speaking; his ominous words unreal.

"It left about an hour ago."

The man hurried on, leaving the stunned group behind. Distressed, Kenny turned to everyone. "What do we do now?" He asked, his voice frantic from his rising panic. For some reason, Rei and the White Tigers exchanged looks, some sort of silent conversation traveling between them for a moment; before Rei sighed and turned to the others. "The Beyblade Federation Association has branches throughout the world," He said quietly. "Really?" Max perked up, pleasantly surprised by this. Rei nodded, before gesturing back towards the city. "There's a branch right here in London," He continued. "I'm sure someone there can help us."

"Let's hope so," Kenny fretted.

.-.-.-.

As the group headed for the BBA London office, unknown to any of them, they were being watched by a lone figure. This person, clad entirely in black, stood on a roof of a tall business building; their gaze never leaving the group. Giving a barest of nods, they smiled.

Perfect.

.-.-.-.

Many of the group were lost in their thoughts or talking with one another; Rei and the White Tigers were leading the way. During this time, Lee was happy to talk with the islanders. He was quite curious about Rei's life before the village, and boy, was he surprised by the revelations. According to the trio, Rei's health had always been poor; but, despite this, he was always a cheerful and sweet natured soul. Even more surprising, was when Lee learned of Rei's self appointed protector; Riku. Lee tilted his head, looking very much like a cat, as his eyes reflected his inner confusion.

"Who's Riku?" He questioned, his voice soft. Something deep down inside of Lee, told him that whoever this Riku was, was something that Mariah could never learn about. Oh, don't get him wrong, he loved his sister (really he did), but he wasn't blind to her many faults.

Like her growing 'crush' on Rei.

The islanders exchanged slight smiles. "Riku was the one who first found Sora," Tidus told the younger boy. "And this was after Sora washed up on shore." Lee perked up when he heard this. So, Rei wasn’t from this island like they were, was he? In fact, he voiced this out loud and the three looked somewhat grim. "We don't know where Sora came from," Selphie said grimly. "He just showed up one day after a meteor shower," Tidus muttered.

A...meteor shower?

Lee looked to where Rei was, a thoughtful look in his copper colored eyes. A meteor shower, that was exactly what happened so many years ago in the village. Was it possible that Rei could be…? 

Nah.

That was silly.

Realizing something, Wakka sent Selphie a look. "Wasn't Riku also de one who gave Sora his name?" Selphie blinked owlishly, before turning a slight pink. Oh yeah, she had forgotten about that. Shaking his head, Wakka looked over at Lee; who looked surprised by his question. "If ya ever meet Riku, be careful wit' him," He warned. 

"He's very protective of Sora." 

…oh.

-CRACK-

What the--?!

At the abrupt sound of a loud crack, the kids whirled around; only to stare in shock. Something had been dissolving into black mists as whatever it had been, slammed into a diamond-like shield. Seeing the red heart flying off, Rei frowned; a bit disturbed by this. "What was that?" Max asked, a bit shaken. "Forget that!" Tyson squeaked. "What about that shield?!" The diamond-like shield shimmered briefly before it dispersed. Selphie frowned, sending Rei a look. "Sora," She called gently, catching the teen’s attention. "Did you…?" Seeing where she was going, Rei shook his head.

Then how…?

.-.-.-.

Despite the mishap, there was some good news. According to the London BBA, there was a train that could take them out and towards their destination. However, the train wouldn't leave until morning; thankfully, the company put the teams up in a nearby hotel for the night. And now, as the mid-afternoon strolled in; the kids were rather hungry and headed for a café.

Too bad that trouble was right around the corner.

.-.-.-.

Sitting down to a late lunch, Rei was silent as his mind drifted over to that little mishap. He was confused by the incident; what had tried to attack them earlier? And more importantly, what caused the shield to appear? After all, he hadn't exactly been training those spheres that he had been collecting. 

Hm…  
…huh?

Keeping quiet and his face carefully blank, Rei's eyes traveled around; scanning their surroundings. It almost felt like they were being watched by someone. To his curiosity, there was someone who was watching them; their form partially hidden by the lurking shadows of a nearby building. Whoever it was, wore a dark green hooded cloak, and...glowing eyes?! Unknown to Rei, as his eyes narrowed, they shone an unnatural shade of gold and the cloaked figure flinched. Moments later, the being withdrew, leaving the unaware group alone.

[Who was that, anyway?]

.-.-.-.

The next day, the gang found themselves on a rather nice train that was set to take them onto their destination. Rei was quiet as he sat with the islanders, while the others were scattered about in the main car. Tyson, Max and Kenny were watching a cheesy horror flick, the White Tigers were talking among themselves, and who knew about Kai. Selphie sighed as she looked out the window; watching as the scenery passed them by. Like Rei, she was disturbed by yesterday's events; and more importantly, how did that shield activate like that? Huffing out an annoyed breath, she looked back to Rei, whose eyes were slightly narrowed, a thoughtful frown upon his face.

Oh?

"Is everything okay, Sora?" She asked gently as he looked up, as if surprised. Blinking owlishly, Rei glanced from her before his eyes traveled forward. "Don't you find it odd that there's no one else here?" He asked quietly, making sure that the others didn't hear him. Tidus and Wakka looked up, also having noted that besides them, there was no one else here. "Yeah," Tidus agreed, his voice grim. "We better check it out," The blond continued as he and the other islanders got up to do a search. Rei also got up, his unease growing with each passing moment. Kenny, on the other hand, had been freaking out over the horror movie; noticed the islanders and Rei getting up. 'Where are they going?' He wondered. They weren't gone that long, either. Moments later, the islanders returned; all three looking uneasy.

Wait --

Where was Rei?!

(…)

Rei had promptly gone to the pilot's cabin and he couldn't believe what was happening. Entering the empty compartment, Rei saw that no one had been there; everything was freaking automatic!

[Figures.]

Seeing a glint by the control panel, Rei knelt down and saw that it was a familiar looking cloudy orb. Only, this orb sported a set of playing cards. He picked it up, startled when the orb attached itself to his belt. Huh, first time that an orb did that.

[Now to get back to the others.]

Before Rei could even move, something hard came down on his head. With a pained groan, the teen went down, and a cloaked figure stood over him; their eyes hard.

(…)

Tyson looked up, wondering what was going on. "What's up?" He asked, curious. "There's no one else here, besides us," Tidus pointed out. "What?!" Kenny screeched. "How can that be?!" Mariah looked worried when she saw that Rei was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Rei?" She demanded.

Uh…

The islanders exchanged uneasy looks, just as the train was plunged into darkness; before coming to a screeching halt. Kenny was fretting over the sudden change, still freaking out over the knowledge that the train was completely empty. Taking a chance, Lee peeked out the window, only to see a stone wall.

…huh?

Oh.  
A tunnel.

"Come on," Lee urged. "We should check things out." Mariah frowned, her eyes reflecting her concern. "What about Rei?" She demanded, her voice sharp. Selphie inwardly frowned, her green eyes never leaving sight of the pink haired girl. She wasn't the only one who had noticed the girl's growing obsession with Sora; her two friends had also noticed. There was now a silent agreement between the islanders, keep an eye on Mariah and keep her away from Sora.

Riku wouldn't forgive them if anything happened to Sora.

Stepping out of the train, the group saw that the train had come to a perfect halt within a tunnel. The moment they stepped out, numerous lights came on, illuminating the tunnel with a soft yellow light.

Okay…

"Heh, heh…"

…huh?

The teams tensed, before slowly turning around, only to stare in utter shock. The islanders tensed as well, their hands twitching as if wanting to reach for something; whoever this was, was sending a ringing alarm through them. Three cloaked figures slowly stepped out from the shadows, each one looking rather amused. "Where do you think you're going, Bladebreakers and White Tigers?" Lee and Kai froze, shocked that these strangers knew their team names. One-by-one, the three removed their hoods; showing the gang who they really were.

The leader was tall, and judging by his elegant features, was someone from old blood. His hair, which was slicked back slightly, was primarily a greyish-black that blended into ruby red, and with a single ruby red stripe going through his locks. His skin was quite pale, and his eyes…they were a startling shade of red; red as freshly spilt blood. The shorter male had a more rougher tone to his appearance. He had more broader features, tanner skin, a shaggy mane of blue-gray hair, and slitted blue eyes. Wait a minute…slitted eyes?! The last male was very tall and clearly more muscular than his friends. His features seemed to be more flatter, and like the shorter male, he had tanned skin. His hair was along the buzz cut style, but with spiky bangs, and strangely enough, his hair was green; but not quite the same shade as Kevin's hair. No, this guy's hair was more of a forest or a murky shade of green. And his eyes were a dark shade of green, the pupils thin slits.

Oh boy.

Not good.

"W-Who are you?" Max asked, his voice stuttering out of fear. The leader smirked as he gave a mocking bow. "You may call me Sanguinex," He purred. The shorter one grinned, revealing sharp canines. "And I'm his little brother, Lupinex." This sent a spark of confusion through the islanders, as none of the trio looked alike. "And you may call me Zomb," The biggest one rumbled.

"And I'm Cenotaph."

…huh?

Getting a bad feeling, the teams turned, surprised when a fourth cloaked male appeared. This newcomer was as tall as Sanguinex, but he had bandages wrapped around his more slender frame; and was he wearing the headpiece of an Egyptian pharaoh?  
And with him was…

"REI?!"

Cenotaph was gripping the shoulders of an unconscious Rei. Even from where they stood, the islanders could tell that Sora was still breathing, but they were furious. "What did you do to him?" Mariah yelled, demanding with a felineous fury. "Don't worry," Sanguinex said calmly. "You're friend is fine." His red eyes narrowed slightly. "How about a little game?"

A…game?

While this was happening, Rei was starting to come around. His head was throbbing like crazy, but his eyes were opening. He was surprised when he felt a slight pressure on his shoulder, and looking ahead, he found the teams and the islanders about to face off against a trio of Beybladers. 

A trio that felt off to him.

Now, how to break free…?

Rei inwardly frowned, realizing that the guy who was holding onto him, hadn't known that he was awake. There must be something that he could do to break free as well as prevent the others from making a big mistake.

What if…?

That's it!

Rei grinned, remembering the orb that he had picked up before all this happened. Well, no time like now to test the thing out. Carefully sliding his hand into his pocket, Rei reached out for the orb; the new name coming to him.

Lady Luck.

Cenotaph stiffened when he felt a sudden movement from his captive. Looking down sharply, his yellow eyes widen when he saw that Rei was awake. Not only was Rei awake, but a strange symbol appeared beneath the pair, golden energy cackling around them as tiny stars glimmered. Nervous by this, Cenotaph released his hold on Rei and jumped back to avoid the cackling energy.

And just in time, too.

Hearing the commotion, Selphie looked back and was surprised by what was happening. And she wasn’t the only one; so were the bladers! Rei stood up, tilting his head as the golden energy washed over him…

A large purple seal appeared on the ground, sporting a spade symbol (of all things). Four smaller spades appeared along the edges of the seal, spinning rapidly as Rei reappeared; his clothes having changed. He now wore a dark purplish-black vest with black straps bound around his upper arms, a pair of rather revealing black silk pants, a silk scarf was wrapped loosely around his neck, dark purplish black boots, and last but not least; a gold coin belt was wrapped around his waist. In one gloved hand, he held a set of large playing cards.

Rei looked down at his outfit and turned a light pink. Oh man, did these orbs have to have revealing forms? This was so embarrassing, but let’s hope that it could be of use. But after this, he was so not going to use it! "Now," He mused as he looked towards the group; taking note of their unease. "Let's see what this orb can do…" Rei suddenly held out the cards, which floated out of his hand, spinning around him in a lazy manner. At the same time, three casino like slots appeared over his head; the slots spinning in a rapid manner.

"Why am I getting the feeling that we're screwed?" Lupinx whined, eyeing the slots with unease. Rei grinned, looking very amused by the blunt words. "Yes," He agreed cheerfully. "Yes you are." Everyone could see the reels were beginning to settle, a bar and two cherries. Rei looked up at the slots and his smile grew. The cards that were spinning around him suddenly halted before one of them began to emit a pure white light. At the same time, the four dark ones yelped as a mixture of dark green and blue energy wrapped around them; freezing them in place. The light continued to expand, and everyone had to look away as the light became too strong for them. Although, they could hear the faint cries of the dark ones…

When the light died down, the teams were surprised to find the dark ones had collapsed, either groaning or pained whimpers. "Impressive," Selphie whistled, her eyes reflecting her excitement. "Jeez," Tidus breathed. "How strong is that form?" Wakka shook his head, seemingly amused by things. The soft click-clack of Rei's boots against the stone platform echoed softly, as he calmly walked towards the downed dark team. He knelt down before Sanguinex, his eyes sharp. The dark haired teen groaned, his red eyes traveling upwards to meet Rei’s. A slow, cruel smile crossed Rei's lips before he whispered something to Sanguinex, whose eyes widen in shock.

The group could only stare as Sanguinex's skin paled even more, and wondered what it was that Rei said to him to get such a reaction. Sanguinex staggered to his feet, before sending his team a grim look and shook his head. Then, one-by-one, the four disappeared into the shadows; and hopefully, for good.

Sighing, Rei straightened himself back up. A pale purplish smoke swirled around him as the orb's effects receded, leaving him in his normal attire once more. The islanders hurried forward, leaving the astounded group behind them. Rei shuddered, his face beet red. "There is no way that I'm using that again," He muttered as Selphie giggled. "Aw, I thought you were cute in it, Sora!" She squealed. Rei shot her a glare, before looking away with a huff and a mutter that he was not cute. "Aw, come on Sora," Tidus said cheerfully, placing a hand around Rei's shoulder as he guided the teen back to the others. "I know that Riku would have enjoyed that outfit," He teased. Rei blinked owlishly before his face heated up as he realized the implications of Tidus' words. He glared at the mischievous blond before he started chasing the other teen around as Selphie burst out laughing.

"Not funny!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays everyone! ~


	12. Surprising Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now in Paris, the gang have a few days to relax. However, trouble rears its ugly head soon after their arrival. With a rising surge of darkness, Rei races through the streets of Paris, determined to keep one step ahead. But, he isn't alone. The return of an old friend and a devastating loss...

Paris, France

"I can't believe that we're in Paris," Mariah breathed as they stepped out into fresh air, having left the subway. It had taken a lot of work from the BBA, not to mention a lot of apologizing; but the two teams and the islanders had gotten a second train and they were back on the journey. Hence the layover in Paris. But, it was going to be a few more days before they could leave Paris. Hey, the company couldn't do everything at once. So, the group had plenty of time to kill, or in this case; train. 

Turning to the bladers, Selphie raised an eyebrow. "So," She began. "What are you guys going to do while we're here?" Kai snorted and walked off, causing Tyson to roll his eyes in annoyance. "There's a former villager who lives here," Lee piped up. "He has a restaurant nearby," He continued. "We're going to stop by for a while."

Oh.

"What about you, Rei?" Max questioned as the older boy smiled slightly. Rei gestured to the islanders, and only Lee understood what he meant. Of course, Rei would go with them as they were the ones with clues about his past. Come to think of it, did the Bladebreakers even know about Rei's amnesia? Looking to the younger team, Lee knew the answer.

Definitely not.

Mariah frowned, as if upset by something. Lee saw this, and placed a hand on her shoulder as he gave Rei a curt nod. Rei relaxed ever so slightly, glad that Lee understood his reasons for going with the islanders. Something was urging him to go with the islanders, anyway, he could train with Driger later. Watching as the four walked away, Lee gave his sister a stern look. "Don't Mariah," He warned, his voice low but firm. "Those three hold the secrets to Rei's past." At this, the remaining Bladebreaker's perked up. "What do you mean by that?" Kenny asked curiously, tilting his head. The White Tigers, on the other hand, winced as they exchanged uneasy looks.

"Truth is…" Kevin said slowly.  
"Rei doesn't remember his past."

"At all."

.-.-.-.

"Glad to be away from that," Rei muttered. Tidus snorted, his blue eyes reflecting his amusement. "What?" He teased. "You've finally noticed it?" Rei sent him a dirty look. "I'm not blind you know," He grumbled. Selphie raised an eyebrow. "So, you've noticed, huh?" She asked lightly. "If you mean Mariah," Rei said dryly. 

"Then yes."

.-.-.-.

"Think Sora's here?"

"He has to be..."

.-.-.-.

Absentmindedly keeping an eye on their surroundings as they walked, Wakka glanced at Rei with a curious look. "Den why haven't ya done anythin' about it?" Before Rei could retort, something caught his attention and he was looking right at the clear skies with an unreadable look. Frowning, he shook his head before giving Wakka a flat look. "She's the granddaughter of the one the village elders," He said quietly. The islanders winced at that. "That high up, huh?" Selphie said with a weak smile. She shook her head as Rei hung his head. "You have no idea," He whined.

(...)

"Let's see how you handle this."

(...)

...huh?

Rei stopped in mid-strife, a sudden chill having gone down his spine. "Sora?" Selphie called gently, once she realized that Rei had fallen behind. Tidus and Wakka both stopped as well, realizing that something was wrong. All of Rei's senses were screaming at him to run, that something terrible was about to happen. The temperatures were beginning to drop, and a dark mist seemed to settle over the streets. Shivering, Rei slowly turned around and he turned white as his golden eyes widen in shock horror at the sight. The islanders followed his gaze, before they too, turned a sickly color.

Shadows and Soldiers.  
Hundreds of them.

Seeing all of those golden eyes focusing on them, was making them very, very nervous. Wait a minute, the shadows weren't focusing on all four of them; only on one. Selphie felt her heart sink as she realized that the shadows were focusing on Sora.

"Run Sora!" She screamed.

[No need to tell me twice!]

Instincts now running into overdrive, Rei turned around and bolted down the streets. The trio tried to follow, only for them to get surrounded by even more Shadows and Soldiers.

Not good.

.-.-.-.

Riku was still confused by everything that had happened. What, with his home being consumed by the darkness, then to him being used and manipulated by Maleficent just so that he could wake Kairi back up. Why, oh why had he turned against Sora like that? Remembering how those blue eyes looked at him with such hurt and betrayal, Riku felt awful for his actions.

And it was that guilt that Ansem used to take control. 

After that, Riku felt himself drift through an endless darkness, that is…until a light reached out and pulled him back to consciousness. The next thing Riku knew, he had his body back, and who knew where Ansem was. He was also left alone with Sora's two companions; Donald and Goofy.

Although, neither seemed happy with him.  
This was something that Riku couldn’t fault them for. 

Speaking of Donald and Goofy…

He turned and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the duo. Thanks to the magics of this world; something that Donald had grumbled about, the two had been altered so that they could blend in better. Yes, that's right; the two were now humans. Goofy now looked like a man in his late thirties, perhaps early forties with unruly black hair and slightly tanned skin. Thankfully, his clothing remained the same. Donald, on the other hand, looked like a man in his late twenties to early thirties with short, cropped snow white hair and fair skin. Of course, the disguise had added on some jeans and sneakers. It would have been awkward if this hadn't been added; not to mention the explanation to the police…

Goofy inspected Riku carefully, noting the changes to the boy. Riku was a lot taller now, but built more like a swimmer with lithe muscles. His silver hair was a bit longer as well, but his green eyes were darker, harder one would say. Even his outfit had changed (something that was rather confusing). Instead, Riku wore a sleeveless black shirt with a yellow trimmed creamy vest, semi baggy blue pants, black and white sneakers and a yellowish-white wristband/glove on his left hand. "So, you don't remember anything after Ansem took control?" Goofy asked, his voice soft but gentle. Riku shook his head, looking disturbed. "No," He whispered. "All I remember was seeing a bright light," He sighed and looked up at the sunny skies. "Next thing I knew, I was in control and with you guys."

Oh.

Shaking his head, Goofy turned to Donald, who was silent. "Donald," He called. "Is Merlin right about this?" He questioned. "Is Sora really here?" It had been ten days since Sora had vanished, and everyone had spent their time and energy to track the boy down. Donald gave a curt nod. "Yeah," He murmured. "Merlin tracked Sora's magic to this world."

This world…

Why was it marked 'Beyblade'?

"Run Sora!"

…huh?

Riku, Donald and Goofy snapped to attention, the faint but urgent voice catching their attention. Riku was shocked by the revelation that he recognized the voice. "That…that's Selphie!" He gasped. "Selphie?" Goofy repeated. "You mean someone from your home?" Donald scowled, clenching his fists. "Never mind that!" He snapped.

"Sora's in trouble!"

.-.-.-.

"What do you mean that Rei doesn't remember his past?" Tyson demanded, his blue eyes partially narrowed. Lee sighed, his eyes traveling back to where Rei had left with the islanders. "Truth is," He said softly. "We don't know much about Rei." This admission just further confused the younger team. "About ten years ago, Rei just showed up after a meteor shower," Kevin piped up. "He was brought to the village," He continued. "And it was Elder Wong and my grandmother who found out that Rei couldn't remember anything." Kenny was silent, a thoughtful frown upon his face. "Is Rei even his real name?" Max questioned.

"No."

Mariah sighed, crossing her arms. "Grandfather later told us that all Rei would mumble was 'ri'," She explained. "Eventually, the elders decided to call him Rei." She frowned, as if upset about something. "Since these people showed up," Mariah grumbled. "Rei's changed, and I hate it."

Lee just rolled his eyes.

"Run Sora!"

What the -- ?!

Both teams snapped to attention, the faint cry of Selphie's voice reaching them. "Wait," Max murmured. "Isn't 'Sora' what those guys are calling Rei?" The blond was uneasy, as Selphie sounded scared. "We better check this out," Tyson said grimly as the others nodded.

.-.-.-.

Rei darted through the crowded streets, doing his best not to knock the bystanders down, as it wouldn't do him any good if they got caught up in things. Unknown to Rei, he had bumped into a certain green haired boy; who could only stare as the dark haired boy ran by. Those Shadows kept chasing Rei through the streets of Paris.

…huh?

Looking ahead, Rei saw that the Eiffel Tower was coming into sight, and it was coming up fast. Taking a chance, he peered over his shoulder and winced. Somehow, the Shadows had increased and he could sense the desperation from the dark mass.

Desperation and incredible hunger.

Not good.

-"Thundaga!"-

Rei squeaked when blue lightning, of all things, rained down. He looked back once more, and was shocked to see that some of the Shadows were dispersing into mists. Slowing down slightly, Rei watched as a green and silver blur twirled along the streets; slicing into some more Shadows. Last but not least, he saw a pale yellow blur racing through the Shadows.

Oh?

Unfortunately, despite the help, more and more Shadows were pouring out and speeding right for him. Cursing softly, Rei took off once more and realized that he could escape by making it to the Eiffel Tower. Hopefully, whoever was helping him would get the same idea.

(...)

"Damnit!" Donald growled, sending out several ice and lightning spells towards the mass of darkness. Goofy landed, skidding back slightly; panting as he stood back up. Riku skidded back, holding a dragon-winged sword; a bit flushed. "Where all of these Shadows coming from?!"

"Riku!" The silver haired teen tensed, turning slightly; only to see Selphie, Wakka and Tidus running up to him. Strangely enough, the trio were soon joined by seven other kids; a group that the trio seemed to recognize. When Riku saw that Sora was nowhere in sight, he panicked. "Where's Sora?" He demanded, one eye on her, the other on the mass. Selphie simply pointed ahead of the Shadows, and that was when Riku, Donald and Goofy realized just where Sora was. Looking from the group to Sora's location and back again; and seeing the devastation on Riku's face, the former knight and mage exchanged looks. It was as if they were having a silent conversation, before Donald nodded and the two turned to the group.

"Riku," Goofy said softly, a sad smile gracing his lips. The teen looked up, a bit dazed. "Sora doesn't need us anymore." He placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "So, you take good care of him." Donald snorted. "And don't even think of turning against him!" He scolded as Riku looked confused, not to mention the others.

Wait…

"What are you doing?" Selphie demanded frantically, looking between the two with wide, horrified green eyes. The two simply looked at each other before running towards the Shadows; determination shining in their dark eyes. "Taking care of Sora!" Goofy called back. "No…" Riku whispered. "Riku?" Tidus looked at the teen with worry. "What's happening?" Kenny demanded, shrilly. "What are they going to do?!" Riku was pale, as the horror of their ominous words rang true. "They're going to sacrifice themselves!" He yelled.

WHAT?!

(...)

Owww!

Rei grunted as he was cruelly slammed into the unforgiving tower; pain shooting through his spine from the collision. Struggling to get up, he whimpered as his body screamed in protest from the sudden movement. Rei's eyes fluttered and he looked up; only to turn white as hundreds of Shadows lunged for him.

[NO!]

-"Ulta!"-

The once sunny sky grew dark as ominous clouds gathered overhead; lightning cackling as it arched across the darkening skies. The air felt heavy as temperatures dropped at an alarming rate. The dark clouds slowly parted; swirling over a single spot and without warning, a single beam of golden energy shot down. It seemed to have hit its mark, as a bright light illuminated the area; forcing everyone to shield their eyes. As the light began to fade, the clouds were dispersing themselves as the sun slowly returned. Silence washed over the streets as dust clouded the senses. Shivering, Rei regained his bearings as the pain in his spine began to fade. Whimpering and coughing from the dust, he slowly got to his feet to look around.

Waving away the dust, Rei looked around as he could vaguely hear the cries of his friends. His golden eyes scanned the area before landing on two still figures, both clearly male. Dread filling him as he approached, Rei saw their features; features that struck as familiar.

He knew them.  
…but who were they?

Rei knelt down by the dark haired one, who let out a pained groan; his eyes opening, revealing dull dark orbs. "I-I know you," Rei rasped, tears beginning to form as the man gave a sad, tired smile. "Forgive us, Sora," The man whispered, reaching a weak hand to the boy. "I know…that we promised the king that…we wouldn't leave…" He continued, his voice growing weaker. "But you don't need us anymore," He breathed, gently wiping away Rei's tears; shocking the boy that he was crying.

"Good-bye, Sora…"

With one last gentle smile, the man’s eyes closed and his hand fell limp; the two having breathed their last. Rei felt his heart shatter at that moment. At the same time, he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and Rei looked up.

Golden eyes meet cat-like green.

Riku was shocked by Sora's appearance, but underneath that dark hair and golden eyes, he would recognize his best friend anywhere. He didn't even protest when Sora suddenly lunged for him, hugging the older teen, burying his face into his chest. "Why?" Sora whimpered as he cried. 

"Why does it hurt so much?!"


	13. Drifting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rei is lost in thought, thinking over the recent events as the group heads to the home of the Majestic's leader; Robert Jurgens. Plus, a new spirit and orb!

{Riku just held onto Sora as the smaller teen cried. Exhausted by what had happened, Sora fell asleep; feeling safe as he did so. Sighing, Riku kept his voice low, as his green eyes met Selphie's. "Selphie," He said quietly, one hand on Sora's back. "What happened?"

The islanders hesitated.

"While we're not sure on why Sora's appearance changed," Selphie began, her voice uneasy and weak. "That's an understatement," Tidus grumbled. Riku was silent, his mind racing over the possible ideas. The only thing that he could figure out was that the world's magics had to have been what changed Sora. "We do know that Sora's memory is gone," Selphie continued.

…what?

Riku looked up sharply, and Wakka gave a slight nod. 'It's just like before, ya," He murmured. "But, Sora's starting to remember," Tidus pointed out. "That should be a good thing, right?" The Beybladers were rather confused by what was being said. 'So, this isn't the first time Rei's lost his memory?' Was what went through their minds. Wakka frowned, his brown eyes narrowing slightly as he crossed his arms. "Maybe," He murmured. "Maybe not." Tidus tilted his head, blue eyes reflecting his confusion. "What do you mean?" he questioned as Wakka sighed. "Sora blocked his earliest memories for a reason," He pointed out. "And I'm not sure if I want Sora to remember dat time." Tidus winced as the implications of the statement hit him.

"Point."

…huh?

Feeling the surge of energy coming from that odd tower, Riku turned his head ever so slightly; only to stare with wide eyes. The islanders and the Beybladers followed Riku's gaze, only to freak out. There, at the base of the tower, was a shimmering energy shield; a mesmerizing blue, yellow and green. What happened next, was truly stunning; at least, to those who had no knowledge of this stuff. Slowly coming out of the 'shield' was a rather large creature. It was equinine in nature, and yet, it wasn't. It's body was primarily a blue-gray with a tarnished silver armor lining its spine (resembling a skeleton), and golden armor lined its neck and curled around its front legs. It had a silver-blue mane, a somewhat stubby tail, but silver-blue fur lined its shoulders, legs and even its hind quarters; oddly resembling flames. Last, but not least, a long and curved horn that looked a bit like sickle.

Milky eyes met green.

It simply walked up to them, nuzzling Sora; before its eyes looked the mismatched group over. The being straightened itself out before looking down at the unconscious boy. Its body slowly dispersed into colorful lights, before said lights swept themselves into Sora. At the same time, a dull orb rolled up and Selphie picked it up; showing a cloudy musical note.

"I'll be…a unicorn!"

Everyone turned, only to see a teenage boy, about the same age as the islanders, standing there with wide purplish eyes. He was an odd one, that was for sure. He was of average height, but with a slight feminine appearance. Startling green hair framed a delicate face as light purple eyes sparkled with joy. He wore a red shirt with white pants, dark shoes, a sleeveless blue trench coat, a blue french beret (which held a pair of pilot's goggles), and a white scarf. The boy, realizing his manners, flushed slightly before giving a slight smile. "Forgive me for my rudeness," He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as if embarrassed. "My name is Oliver Boulanger, and I'm the current reigning champion of Paris." The two teams jerked back in shock; not expecting this boy to be Paris' reigning Beyblade champion.

Oh?

Oliver blinked owlishly, before growing concern when he saw Rei's state of unconsciousness. "Your friend," He said softly. "Will he be okay?" Riku's grip tightened slightly as the islanders exchanged looks, before sighing. "Honestly," Tidus mumbled, sounding tired. 

"We don't know."}

.-.-.-.

{Rei woke up a couple of days later, but the earlier events had clearly affected him. He was quieter than ever, his eyes hollow and he seemed listless at times. Now, the newcomer; Riku, he was starting to show that he was a little bit protective of Rei, glaring whenever one of the Beyblader's approached them (much to Selphie's amusement and Mariah's annoyance). During this, Oliver decided to test Tyson and to the younger boy's embarrassment,; thoroughly trounced the boy. Oliver then proceeded to lecture the boy, scolding him for his so-called techniques. After the total embarrassment and shame, Oliver then, for some reason, suggested for the group to head to Italy.

Strange.  
Wonder why?}

.-.-.-.

{Enrique Giancarlo.  
Italy's reigning champion.

That's why Oliver suggested Italy.

Enrique looked to be around fifteen with short and slightly wavy pale blond hair, fair skin, sharp features and blue eyes. Huh, he wore a yellow shirt with a short, white trimmed, short sleeved red jacket, green pants, and red-orange sneakers. He proved himself to be of the old-fashioned type when it came to many things, including on treatment of women. This, little flaw of his, did not endear him to Mariah and Selphie. If anything, he would get slapped by said female for whatever he said! 

However, something interesting did happen. Enrique took Tyson to task and challenged him to a match, his Amphilyon (a two headed beast) easily wiped the floor with Dragoon. But, Tyson wasn't going to let this loss affect him. Instead, Tyson worked with Kenny on upgrading his Beyblade and once that was done, challenged Enrique to a rematch. While Tyson was busy upgrading his Beyblade, Rei was lost in his thoughts. Oliver had easily trounced Tyson, as had Enrique. The way the two had fought had been interesting, as if they were one with their bit-beasts. 

Was it possible…?

A test.  
All of this was a test.

Question is, could Tyson pass?

Surprisingly enough, Oliver had showed up for the rematch. Oliver sat with the others as the rematch took place in a replica of the Roman Coliseum. Only, as Rei entered the Coliseum, he was struck with a strong sense of familiarity. The familiarity of having been here before; but that's something that should have been impossible…shouldn't it?

"I don't believe it!" Selphie gasped.

…huh?

Rei snapped out of his thoughts, and followed Selphie's gaze to the Coliseum floor; only to gape at the sight. Somehow, Amphilyon had gotten his two necks tied around each other; sending the poor beast into a frenzy. Dragoon, on the other hand, had a rather smug look in his gleaming eyes; as if satisfied by Amphilyon's pain. Enrique was confused and a bit nervous when Amphilyon stopped listening to him. "Amphilyon!" He yelled, before taking a step back in fear as the frenzied beast turned on him with an enraged roar. Everyone could only look on in shock as Amphilyon knocked one of the Coliseum's towers, and said tower crumpled before large stone pieces were speeding toward the horrified Enrique.

"Move!" Tyson yelled.

The younger boy dashed forward and with a grunt, threw himself at the armored teen. The two tumbled forward, and just as they did, the crumbling stone pieces hit the ground moments later. Enrique sat up, his eyes wide, and his breathing was somewhat panicky. Even Tyson was breathing hard, his blue eyes wide. The others scrambled to their feet and hurried down to the arena floor, and up to the two dazed males. Oliver was frantically checking Enrique over, before relaxing as he saw that his friend was alright; if not shaken. He sent Tyson a grateful look as he helped the blond to his feet. "Thank you for saving him, Tyson." The blue-haired boy flushed as Kenny helped him to his feet.

"No problem."

Rei frowned, his golden eyes traveling along the crumbling arena. Riku walked up to him, before gently nudging him. "Don't look," He warned, his voice low. "But, we're being watched." Rei raised an eyebrow, before his eyes traveled slightly to the right; and sure enough, a cloaked figure was watching them at a distance.

[Just who is that?]}

.-.-.-.

Calming down from that frightening event, both Oliver and Enrique decided to take the group to a friend of theirs; Robert Jürgens. When Oliver showed them a picture of what Robert looked like, Rei, Selphie, Wakka, Tidus and Lee recognized him right away. "Hey, that's the guy who helped us back on the ship!" Selphie gasped. 

Riku stiffened; a sense of unease stirring. Seeing the look in his eyes, Tidus gave a weak laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't worry," He said with a weak smile. "It was nothing too serious." The Bladebreakers and White Tigers exchanged looks, knowing that Tidus was lying; but realized that it was for a good cause. Rei shot Tidus a look, but kept silent. Somehow, he had a feeling that if Riku knew about his near drowning, then the silver-haired teen would go nuts. Sighing, he turned back to the window; gazing out at the pouring rain. 

[Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?]


End file.
